Abstract
Objective
To assess consent rates and reasons for refusing consent after the introduction of peer navigators into the Outcomes of Babies With Opioid Exposure (OBOE) Study.
Design
Secondary analysis of data from the OBOE Study, a multisite observational study.
Setting
Medical centers in Alabama, Ohio, and Pennsylvania (N = 4).
Participants
Data about the use of peer navigators were obtained from the primary study, including 1,255 mothers or caregivers who were approached regarding participation in the study.
Methods
We used χ2 tests to compare study consent rates and reasons for refusing consent before and after the use of peer navigators.
Results
Following the addition of peer navigators, study consent rates significantly improved (29% of 852 before vs. 38% of 403 after; p = .001), and the percentage of potential participants who indicated that they were not interested in sharing information for research significantly decreased (41% of 247 vs. 26% of 115; p = .005).
Conclusion
We demonstrate the potential effect of peer navigators on consent and interest in sharing information for research in a longitudinal research study. We recommend the inclusion of peer navigators in studies with high-risk populations.