ArticlePloS one2014
Improving validity of informed consent for biomedical research in Zambia using a laboratory exposure intervention.
Article in PloS one, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 13 citations in OpenAlex.
- Structural and Hormonal Changes Associated With Starvation in Zambian Adult Patients With Esophageal Strictures: A Cross-Sectional Study.Health science reports · 2026Article
- From guesstimates to game changers: Introducing objective measurement of blood loss for timely postpartum hemorrhage detection in Nigeria, Zambia, and Kenya.International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics · 2026Article
- Willingness to accept paediatric blood sample collection for clinical research purposes in Nepal: a qualitative study.BMJ global health · 2026Article
- Unlocking Trust in Community Health Systems: Lessons From the Lymphatic Filariasis Morbidity Management and Disability Prevention Pilot Project in Luangwa District, Zambia.International journal of health policy and management · 2022Article
- Article
- Article
- The challenge of community engagement and informed consent in rural Zambia: an example from a pilot study.BMC medical ethics · 2019Article
- Providing monetary and non-monetary goods to research participants: perspectives and practices of researchers and Research Ethics Committees in Zambia.Global bioethics = Problemi di bioetica · 2018Article
- Ethical challenges in research on post-abortion care with adolescents: experiences of researchers in Zambia.Global bioethics = Problemi di bioetica · 2018Article
- Factors influencing vaccine acceptance and hesitancy in three informal settlements in Lusaka, Zambia.Vaccine · 2018Article
- Article
- Health care needs assessment among adolescents in correctional institutions in Zambia: an ethical analysis.BMC health services research · 2017Article
- Impaired Barrier Function and Autoantibody Generation in Malnutrition Enteropathy in Zambia.EBioMedicine · 2017Article
- Endomicroscopic and Transcriptomic Analysis of Impaired Barrier Function and Malabsorption in Environmental Enteropathy.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2016Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundComplex biomedical research can lead to disquiet in communities with limited exposure to scientific discussions, leading to rumours or to high drop-out rates. We set out to test an intervention designed to address apprehensions commonly encountered in a community where literacy is uncommon, and where complex biomedical research has been conducted for over a decade. We aimed to determine if it could improve the validity of consent.
methodsData were collected using focus group discussions, key informant interviews and observations. We designed an intervention that exposed participants to a detailed demonstration of laboratory processes. Each group was interviewed twice in a day, before and after exposure to the intervention in order to assess changes in their views.
resultsFactors that motivated people to participate in invasive biomedical research included a desire to stay healthy because of the screening during the recruitment process, regular advice from doctors, free medical services, and trust in the researchers. Inhibiting factors were limited knowledge about samples taken from their bodies during endoscopic procedures, the impact of endoscopy on the function of internal organs, and concerns about the use of biomedical samples. The belief that blood can be used for Satanic practices also created insecurities about drawing of blood samples. Further inhibiting factors included a fear of being labelled as HIV positive if known to consult heath workers repeatedly, and gender inequality. Concerns about the use and storage of blood and tissue samples were overcome by a laboratory exposure intervention.
conclusionSelecting a group of members from target community and engaging them in a laboratory exposure intervention could be a useful tool for enhancing specific aspects of consent for biomedical research. Further work is needed to determine the extent to which improved understanding permeates beyond the immediate group participating in the intervention.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.