Community Engaged, mHealth and Data Science to Enhance Clinical Trial Diversity and Cardiometabolic Health (AHA – Research is Ceremony)

Status: Current

Grant Start: 04/01/2022

Grant End: 03/31/2026

This project will advance the science of diversity in clinical trials. American Indian people are underrepresented in clinical trials, and no data regarding clinical trial awareness exists for them. This is a multi-method study surveying a national sample of American Indian people to estimate the prevalence of clinical trial awareness and identify factors associated with participation in clinical trials. Additionally, this grant includes developing and testing the effect of a novel multi-media randomized controlled trial, “Research is Ceremony,” on study enrollment and retention among study participants. This is the first nationally-focused project that addresses diversity in and awareness of clinical trials among American Indian populations. This grant aims to gain deeper understanding of American Indian people’s perceptions on clinical trials to develop culturally informed campaigns that improve the participation of this frequently excluded population. This study provides an important foundation and direction for increasing clinical trial participation among American Indian people, and findings may be broadly applicable to other populations and advance the science of diversity in clinical trials.

Funding Sponsors

  • American Heart Association

Communities Involved

  • Tribal communities

Principal Investigator(s)

Team Member(s)

Heath Research Initiatives

  • American Indian and Alaska Native