Clinical Research Facilitators, Barriers, and Preferences of Parents of Children With Overweight and Obesity
Topic overview
Survey of 103 parents reveals key facilitators and barriers to enrolling children with overweight/obesity in clinical research, including mistrust, time constraints, and pandemic-related stress. Parents of non-Hispanic White and male children reported higher research mistrust, while lower child BMI correlated with greater perceived benefits of participation.
Key takeaways
- Parents of children with overweight/obesity report more facilitators than barriers to research participation, suggesting receptiveness to trials.
- Lower child BMI correlates with higher perceived research benefits—families with severe obesity may need targeted engagement strategies.
- Parents of non-Hispanic White and male children show greater research mistrust, indicating need for culturally tailored recruitment approaches.
- Pandemic stress increased both social pressure and perceived benefits of participation, highlighting context-dependent motivations.
- Understanding parent preferences for trial formats (telehealth vs in-person, group vs individual) can reduce burden and improve retention.
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