Research attitudes mediate the association between educational attainment and willingness to participate in Alzheimer’s disease research beyond Alzheimer’s disease knowledge
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: STRUCTURED ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION This study examined the extent to which educational attainment, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) knowledge, and research attitudes are associated with willingness to participate in AD research, and whether AD knowledge and research attitudes mediate associations between educational attainment and willingness to participate. METHODS 201 older adults completed self-report measures of AD knowledge, research attitudes, prior research participation, and willingness to participate in diagnostic procedures (neuropsychological assessment, blood draw, brain MRI) and non-pharmacological intervention research (tracking physical activity, aerobic exercise). RESULTS Favorable research attitudes were consistently associated with greater willingness to participate across all proposed research activities, and research attitudes mediated the relationship between educational attainment and willingness to participate in research. In contrast, AD knowledge did not mediate the association between educational attainment and willingness to participate. DISCUSSION Research attitudes may be a key, modifiable determinant of willingness to participate in AD research and a promising focus for broadening AD research participation.
Source: medRxiv
Authors: Kyra M. Bonta, Emma Corbett, Meseret K. Alemu, Beniam D. Darge, Lauren K. Hilderbrand, Kaitlyn Richardson, Isabella M. Blum, Stephanie S. Ogonuwe, Kevin J. Shen, Madison K. McGuire, Diya H. Pandhi, Lewis W Gallagher, Jennifer M. Hunter, Fredrica Grant, Jackiethia Butsch, Neale Davis, Wy’Esha Simmons, Loletia Davis, Pamela Shields, Sue Cooper, Missy Rouse, Kimberly S. Wilson-Lawson, Carlotta Hughes-Culp, Mary Howard, Mertice Monroe, Matthew Coleman, De’leah Leath, Jimmy Henry, Pamela Gregory, Jeremy G. Grant
Institutions: University of Michigan, The Ohio State University, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Nationwide Children's Hospital, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, Alzheimer's Association, American Heart Association
Language: English
Topic: Ethics in Clinical Research
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7222073126