Impact of gender on the willingness to participate in clinical trials and undergo related procedures in individuals from an Alzheimer's prevention research cohort

• Published in: Alzheimer's research & therapy 2024-12, Vol.16 (1), p.263-9, Article 263
• Main Authors: Canals-Gispert, Lidia, Cañas-Martínez, Alba, Huesa, Gema, Suárez-Calvet Alomà, Marc, Milà-Alomà, Marta, Arenaza-Urquijo, Eider, Cirillo, Davide, Dimech, Annemarie Schumacher, Iulita, Maria Florencia, Martinkova, Julie Novakova, Tartaglia, Maria Carmela, Quevenco, Frances-Catherine, Chadha, Antonella Santuccione, Sánchez-Benavides, Gonzalo, Minguillón, Carolina, Ferretti, Maria Teresa, Fauria, Karine, Brugulat-Serrat, Anna
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Alzheimer Disease - psychology; Alzheimer's disease; Brain research; Clinical trials; Clinical Trials as Topic - psychology; Cohort Studies; Educational Status; Female; Gender; Humans; Lumbar puncture; Male; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Middle Aged; Patient Participation - psychology; Patient Participation - statistics & numerical data; Patient Selection; Precision medicine; Prevention; Sex Characteristics; Sex Factors
• ISSN: 1758-9193; 1758-9193
• DOI: 10.1186/s13195-024-01626-1

Although there is growing evidence of the association between gender and early diagnosis of preclinical Alzheimer's disease, little attention has been given to the enrolment ratio of men and women in clinical trials and data reporting. This study aims to analyze gender differences in sociodemographic factors associated with the willingness to participate in clinical trials and undergo specific procedures in the context of an Alzheimer's disease prevention research cohort. 2544 cognitively unimpaired participants from the ALFA parent cohort (age 45-75 years) of the Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center were contacted through a structured phone call to determine their willingness to participate in Alzheimer's disease clinical trials and undergo trial-related procedures (magnetic resonance imaging, lumbar puncture, positron emission tomography, and cognitive assessment). Sociodemographic data on education, occupational attainment, civil and caregiver status were gathered. Stepwise logistic regression models were performed in order to study the interaction between gender and sociodemographic factors in the willingness to participate in clinical trials and to undergo clinical trial-related procedures. 1,606 out of the 2,544 participants were women (63.1%). Women were significantly younger and had lower educational attainment compared with men. In addition, women were more likely to be caregivers, single and unemployed. Women showed a significantly lower willingness than men to participate in a clinical trial (p = 0.003) and to undergo a lumbar puncture (p