The effects of medical mistrust on the willingness of African Americans to participate in medical research studies and seek medical treatment
Since the gruesome departure from Africa and arrival to the United States in 1619, African Americans have experienced mistreatment by American institutions and their policies. In medical research, African Americans have been used as guinea pigs in harmful studies and exploited by researchers for profitable gain. The purpose of this qualitative study is to evaluate how medical mistrust can affect the willingness of African Americans to participate in medical research and seek medical treatment. The findings of this study support that due to historical unethical practices in medical research involving African Americans, most are not willing to participate in medical research and believe that medical bias can influence health outcomes of African Americans. Theoretical considerations and further implications of the study are discussed.
African Americans, Medical Research, Racial Bias, Medical Mistrust
University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign