Attitudes to participating in a birth cohort study, views from a multiethnic population: a qualitative study using focus groups.

BACKGROUND: Recruitment to birth cohort studies is a challenge. Few studies have addressed the attitudes of women about taking part in birth cohort studies particularly those from ethnic minority groups. OBJECTIVE: To seek the views of people from diverse ethnic backgrounds about participation in a proposed birth cohort examining the impact of infections. DESIGN AND SETTING: Eight focus groups of pregnant women and mothers of young children took place in GP surgeries and community centres in an ethnically diverse area of east London. Purposeful sampling and language support ensured representation of people from ethnic minority groups. Audio recordings were taken and transcripts were analysed using the Framework approach. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The views of participants about taking part in the proposed birth cohort study, in particular concerning incentives to taking part, disincentives and attitudes to consenting children. RESULTS: There was more convergence of opinion than divergence across groups. Altruism, perceived health gains of participating and financial rewards were motivating factors for most women. Worries about causing harm to their child, inconvenience, time pressure and blood sample taking as well as a perceived lack of health gains were disincentives to most. Mistrust of researchers did not appear to be a significant barrier. The study indicates that ethnicity and other demographic factors influence attitudes to participation. CONCLUSIONS: To recruit better, birth cohort studies should incorporate financial and health gains as rewards for participation, promote the altruistic goals of research, give assurances regarding the safety of the participating children and sensitive data, avoid discomfort and maximize convenience. Ethnicity influences attitudes to participation in many ways, and researchers should explore these factors in their target population.

Gender Preference for Auditory Versus Visual Routes for Memorization.

Objective: Memory is formed on the basis of sensory stimuli perceived. Vision and Auditory sense are the most common modes to form visual and auditory memory. This study was planned to find the preferred sense route for the formation of memory, between the two genders. Method: In the present cross sectional experimental study, 40 male and 40 female subjects between 18-20 years of age were tested for visual & auditory memory. Results: Results: The results suggested statistically significant higher scores of 'Memory Test' in women in comparison to men (F479 3.312, p=<0.001). The mean score for memory subtests was best for black & white pictures followed by colored pictures, visual words, visual digits, auditory digits and auditory words in that order in men, whereas in women, mean score was best for colored pictures followed by black & white pictures, auditory words, auditory digits, visual words and visual digits. Conclusion: It may be concluded that in men visual sense and in women auditory sense are more effectual for the formation of memory.