[Clinical research and prisoners: coercion and grounds to participate]. / Investigación clínica y presos: coerción y motivos para participar.

ABSTRACT

AIM: To assess the coercion perceived, the quality of the information, and the reasons that lead prisoners to participate in clinical research. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Descriptive and multicenter study. Information was gathered on the social, demographic and penitentiary characteristics, perceived coercion, kind of information received and reasons that lead prisoners to take part in research. Both univariate and bivariate analyses were performed. Quantitative variables are expressed as mean or median, and qualitative ones as absolute numbers or percentages. Comparison between means is performed by a Student T-test, and between medians by a Mann-Whitney U-test. The research was approved by an accredited Ethical Research Committee. RESULTS: The sample comprises 110 prisoners from 11 different prisons, mean age 41.8 (40.4-43.2) years. Of these 105 were men and 8 non-Spanish. 83 prisoners (75.5%) opined they received high quality information about the clinical research; although, only 73 (66.4%) understood it completely. 104 (94.5%) felt no coercion and to 92.5% said they were guaranteed an anonymity. The reasons to be included in the research were benefits for science (67.3%); benefit for future patients (65.5%); altruism (65.5%); possibility of improvement in the own illness (70%). Bivariate analyses showed no differences that depended on the length of the sentence or educational level. CONCLUSIONS: Spanish prisoners take part in clinical researches freely. The information provided on the research should be improved and be made more understandable. Altruism and benefits for the science are the principal reasons for participating in research.