Open AccessWhy do pregnant women participate in research? A patient participation investigation using Q‐Methodology
Author(s) -
Meshaka Riwa,
Jeffares Stephen,
Sadrudin Farah,
Huisman Nicole,
Saravanan Ponnusamy
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
health expectations
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.314
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1369-7625
pISSN - 1369-6513
DOI - 10.1111/hex.12446
Subject(s) - viewpoints , pride , observational study , psychology , research design , set (abstract data type) , family medicine , clinical trial , medical education , medicine , social psychology , computer science , art , social science , pathology , sociology , political science , law , visual arts , programming language
Abstract Background Patient participation in study design is paramount to design studies that are acceptable to patients. Despite an increase in research involving pregnant women, relatively little is known about the motivational factors that govern their decision to be involved in a clinical trial, compared to other patient groups. Objective To better understand the viewpoints of pregnant women who take part in clinical trials. Method We chose to use Q‐Methodology, a method of exploring the structure of opinions surrounding a topic. We developed a set of 40 statements that encompassed the reasons why pregnant women might want to take part in research and 30 research participants from the PR i DE study (an observational trial investigating the role of micronutrients in gestational diabetes) were asked to rank them in order of agreement. The finished matrices from each participant were compared and analysed to produce capturing viewpoints. Results About 30 women aged 19–40 involved in the PR i DE study completed the questionnaire. There were two overarching motivators that emerged: a willingness to help medical research and improve our knowledge of medical science, and having a personal connection to the disease, therefore a potential fear of being affected by it. A third, less significant viewpoint, was that of a lack of inconvenience being a motivating factor. Conclusion and discussion Understanding what motivates pregnant women to decide to take part in a research study is valuable and helps researchers maximize their uptake and retention rates when designing a trial involving pregnant women.