ArticlePloS one2021
Older adults' motivations to participate or not in epidemiological research. Qualitative inquiry on a study into dementia in Switzerland.
Article in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers.
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Who cites it
18 citing papers in PubMed.
- Success and cost-effectiveness of strategies to recruit older adults to a behavioral intervention research study.Contemporary clinical trials · 2025Trial
- Trial
- Pathways to participation - a scoping review outlining barriers and enablers to participation in dementia research.The journal of prevention of Alzheimer's disease · 2026Article
- Participant motivation typologies as correlates of study participation and retention in randomized controlled trials targeting cognitive aging through computerized cognitive training.The Gerontologist · 2025Article
- My new home: study protocol for a prospective cohort study on the long-term personality development and short-term processes during transitions into nursing homes.BMC geriatrics · 2025Article
- Engaging Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Research: Qualitative Substudy of Factors Impacting Participation.JMIR formative research · 2025Article
- "It's About Connections": A Grounded Theory of Older Adults' Engagement in Remotely Delivered Home-Based Physical and Cognitive Exercise Interventions Aiming to Reduce the Risk of Dementia.Journal of patient experience · 2025Article
- Social Gaming to Decrease Loneliness in Older Adults: Recruitment Challenges and Attrition Analysis in a Digital Mixed Methods Feasibility Study.JMIR serious games · 2024Article
- Unlocking Engagement: Enhancing Participation in Research With Vulnerable Populations.International journal of public health · 2024Article
- Patient engagement in radiation oncology: a large retrospective study of survey response dynamics.Frontiers in oncology · 2024Article
- The participation of hard-to-reach older people in the research and development process of health technologies from the perspective of multipliers-A qualitative analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- [Motivational Reasons and Perceptions about Future Participation of Older People in the Research and Development Process of Health Technologies: a Mixed Methods Study].Gesundheitswesen (Bundesverband der Arzte des Offentlichen Gesundheitsdienstes (Germany)) · 2023Article
- Caregivers' perception of adults with Down syndrome willingness to participate in research.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR · 2023Article
- Helping themselves and helping others: how the passage of time influences why mothers with addictions take part in research.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2023Article
- Assessing Sarcopenia, Frailty, and Malnutrition in Community-Dwelling Dependant Older Adults-An Exploratory Home-Based Study of an Underserved Group in Research.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- "Researcher" bias: How our assumptions on technology affect research of older adults.Frontiers in public health · 2022Article
- Why Vaccinate Against COVID-19? A Population-Based Survey in Switzerland.International journal of public health · 2022Article
- Using a Survey to Monitor Participant Experience in a Population-Based Study of Older Adults.Alzheimer disease and associated disordersArticle
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionHigh participation in epidemiological studies is crucial for both external and internal validity. Because response rates have declined in recent years, there is an increasing need to understand the drivers and the barriers to research participation. This study aims to uncover the motivations in favour and against participation of older adults to an epidemiological study on health and dementia.
methodsTwenty-two older adults, who already took part to the preliminary phase of an epidemiological study in Switzerland, agreed to participate to semi-structured, face-to- face interviews. An experienced researcher carried out all interviews in a quiet place of choice of the interviewee either at their domicile or the university, between November 2019 and January 2020. The interviews were audio and video taped, transcribed verbatim, and thematically analysed by two independent researchers.
resultsWe identified three main themes for the motivations in favour of participation (i.e. personal, related to the outcomes of research, and altruistic motivations), and we highlighted subthemes for each theme (e.g. personal motivations: curiosity; civic engagement; interest in the topic; trust in science; everyone counts; openness; play the game). Motivations against participation reflected the first two themes, while there was no counterpart for altruistic motivations.
conclusionsOur thematic analysis revealed that older adults hold specular motivations in favour and against participation to research. Studying jointly motivations in favour and against provides information for recruitment strategies and to overcome barriers to participation, respectively. Participatory action research can inform the design and conduction of and should precede epidemiological studies in older adults, and can potentially contribute to attain high response rates.
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