Abstract PO-083: Descriptive pilot study results of belief in research, religious coping, and willingness to participate in clinical trials among African Americans with hematologic malignancies
Authors: Petty Marjorie 
Published: January 2022

African Americans (AAs) are disproportionately affected by certain types of hematologic malignancies. AAs have a 45% higher probability of dying from acute lymphoblastic leukemia and a 12% higher risk of death from acute myeloid leukemia than Hispanics (6%) and non-Hispanic Whites. AAs also present with chronic lymphocytic leukemia at a younger age, have a more advanced stage disease, and lower survival rates in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma compared to non-Hispanic Whites. Despite the efforts of investigators, AAs with hematologic malignancies remain grossly underrepresented in cancer clinical trials. Underrepresentation of this subset of AAs leads to the non-generalizability of clinical trial findings, disparities in cancer treatment outcomes, and survival compared to other minority populations. Even so, few studies have evaluated the underrepresentation of this subgroup of patients in the context of their beliefs and willingness to participate in clinical trials. Yet, the willingness to participate in cancer clinical trials among AAs with solid tumors is well documented. There is also little evidence relating to the moderating effect of religious coping on the association of belief in research and willingness to participate in clinical trials among this subset of patients. Knowing, as well as believing, are essential elements to participating in any clinical trial. Thus, the aims of the descriptive pilot study were to determine if a relationship exists between belief in research and willingness to participate in clinical trials and determine if religious coping moderates the relationship between belief in research and willingness to participate in clinical trials. To address the aims, data on religious coping were captured at one time-point from 31 AAs with leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma using the validated Brief RCOPE scale and questions that addressed beliefs associated with research and willingness to participate in cancer clinical trials. The results show that there was no statistical difference between belief in research and willingness to participate in clinical trials, and religious coping did not moderate the effect of belief in research on willingness to participate in clinical trials. Statistically significant differences were found between education and belief in research. Participants with less than a high school education had lower belief in research scores than those with some college education, who showed higher belief in research scores. These findings provide preliminary results that suggest future studies are warranted in the study of AAs' beliefs in research. Such studies may contribute to the development of educational interventions to improve the recruitment of AAs with hematologic malignancies into the therapeutic clinical trials for these diseases, with a particular emphasis on educational interventions for those AAs with less than high school education.

Citation Format: Marjorie Petty. Descriptive pilot study results of belief in research, religious coping, and willingness to participate in clinical trials among African Americans with hematologic malignancies [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Conference: 14th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2021 Oct 6-8. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2022;31(1 Suppl):Abstract nr PO-083.