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. 2025 Jul-Aug;39(4):531-540.
doi: 10.1016/j.pedhc.2024.12.001. Epub 2024 Dec 30.

Caregiver Willingness to Participate in Pediatric Clinical Research During COVID-19

Crystal S Lim, Dustin E Sarver, Dustin C Brown, Russell McCulloh, Lacy Malloch, Tre D Gissandaner, Robert D Annett

Caregiver Willingness to Participate in Pediatric Clinical Research During COVID-19

Crystal S Lim et al. J Pediatr Health Care. 2025 Jul-Aug.

Abstract

Introduction: Understanding caregiver willingness to participate in pediatric clinical research is needed. We examined caregiver perceptions of pediatric clinical research during COVID-19 and examined research attitudes and sociodemographic factors as predictors of willingness.

Methods: A cross-sectional telephone survey was administered to caregivers of children from August 2020 to April 2021. We examined caregiver willingness to participate in the following research modalities during COVID-19: telehealth, in-person, and vaccine-focused.

Results: Participants included 600 caregivers (52.8% non-Hispanic White; Child Age M = 9.3 years; 50.0% from rural areas). Caregivers reported more willingness to participate in nonvaccine research (64.0% telehealth, 59.4% face-to-face) compared to vaccine research (22.1%). Different predictors were found for caregivers living in rural and nonrural areas and specific research attitudes predicted willingness.

Discussion: Caregiver willingness to participate in pediatric clinical research during COVID-19 differed by modality and research attitudes predicting willingness differed by geography. Surveillance regarding pediatric vaccine and clinical research hesitancy broadly should continue.

Keywords: COVID-19; Caregivers; Clinical research; Family; Vaccine development; mRNA vaccines.

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Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST None to report.

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