Abstract
Objectives: The goal of this project was to re-contact 40 of the 100 adult participants (Hispanic farm worker and non-farm workers), who participated in a pesticides exposure study, to learn about their experience providing biospecimens for research. The 40 randomly selected participants are members of a larger cohort that has been participating in pesticides exposure research for over 10 years. During their participation in the pesticides exposure study these participants were asked to provide two 10mL tubes of blood, two buccal cell samples and four urine samples during the seven-day collection period. Two dust samples were also collected from the home and a 7-day dust sample was collected from the vehicle. This protocol was repeated a total of three times (during two different pesticide spray seasons and one non-spray season) over the course of one year. Twelve of the 40 participants interviewed also provided 20 saliva samples, 2 hair samples and one blood sample over 10 weeks for a stress and cortisol study.
Methods: Two months after completing the pesticides exposure study, we re-contacted a random selection of 40 participants to take part in a one-on-one interview. All participants are Hispanic farm workers and non-farm workers and all live in the Yakima Valley of Washington. Interview questions were selected to learn about the participant's feelings toward research, the barriers and facilitators to participating in research and providing biological samples, expectations surrounding their biological samples and thoughts about providing tumor samples.
Results: A total of 42 participants were re-contacted; 40 agreed to participate and completed an interview, 1 refused and 1 was lost to follow-up. Each participant who completed an interview was provided a $20 gift card. Qualitative analysis is summarizing the beliefs and opinions of Hispanics about donating biospecimens and their understanding of what such donation means. Their attitudes to research are also being explored. Results will be available in mid-July, 2012.
Conclusion: Speculation about Latinos giving biospecimens suggests that Hispanics are more reluctant to participate than non-Hispanic Whites. This was not our experience. The personal meaning of donation and the meaning of research is important to better understand Latinos participation in biobanking.
Citation Format: Beti Thompson, Elizabeth Carosso, Ilda Islas, Genoveva Ibarra. Latino farm workers and non-farm workers and their experiences in providing biospecimens for research. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Fifth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2012 Oct 27-30; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2012;21(10 Suppl):Abstract nr A28.