Perceptions of Clinical Research in Parents with a Child with Overweight/Obesity

Background: Enrollment and retention in pediatric research is vital for advancing medical and behavioral treatment of obesity. Recruitment and retention of families in pediatric obesity interventions is difficult, especially with families from underrepresented backgrounds. The purpose of this project was to describe parent perceptions of clinical research and examine differences based on geographic status to identify avenues to tailor future recruitment and retention strategies. Methods: An online survey was conducted with parents of youth 2-17 years of age identified as overweight or obese. Parents were primarily recruited via social media posts but also through pediatric specialty medical clinics. Parents completed the Pediatric Research Participation Questionnaire (PRPQ), which assesses barriers and facilitators to pediatric research participation, as well as health and demographic information. Results: The sample consisted of 104 parents. Most were the child's mother (64%) and non-Hispanic White (51%). The target child was about 11.5 years old with mean BMI = 24.2. Geographically, parents reported living in the following areas: 44% urban, 44% suburban, and 11% rural. Overall, parents endorsed more reasons to participate in research compared to other PRPQ scales assessed. Parents from rural areas identified less social pressure to participate in research compared to those from suburban and urban areas (F(2,97) = 3.99, p = 0.022) and parents living in suburban areas endorsed more distrust of research compared to those from rural and urban areas (F (2,97) = 5.43, p = 0.006). Conclusions: This study suggests families with an overweight child may benefit from receiving tailored information based on geographic location when being recruited to participate in clinical research. Future research should continue to identify parent barriers and facilitators regarding research participation to maximize enrollment, participation, retention, and completion of pediatric clinical trials.