Comparing comprehension of consent document between adolescent girls and caregivers of adolescents in Siaya County, Kenya

Implications for research with adolescents

Datos Bibliográficos

ID21787650
AutoresJacob Onyango (0000-0003-4828-9328, Impact Research and Development Organization, autor de correspondencia), Gift-Noelle Wango (0000-0003-1940-7858, Snohomish Health District), Nicky Okeyo (0000-0001-7914-6392), Lennah Oluoch (Impact Research and Development Organization), Harsha Thirumurthy (0000-0002-3308-7603, California University of Pennsylvania), Millicent Omoya, Nancy Ounda (Impact Research and Development Organization), Dickens Omondi (Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology), Kawango Agot (0000-0002-6153-8950, Impact Research and Development Organization)
Año2025
Volumen21
Número4
Páginas575-594
Fecha de publicación2025-10-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaResearch Ethics (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1747-0161 • E-ISSN: 2047-6094
EditorialSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/17470161241290627
OpenAlexW4403510053
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas1
Referencias citadas46

Despite their vulnerability, adolescents are often excluded from health research due to ethical concerns about research with minors, especially in low-income regions like Sub-Saharan Africa. We enrolled adolescent girls aged 15–17 years and caregivers of girls of the same age. Using a 25-question Comprehension Score Sheet, we applied a quantitative approach to compare the comprehension of informed consent of 33 adolescent girls and 41 caregivers of adolescent girls aged 15–17 years. The assessments were audio-recorded and reviewed for quality check. The results showed that adolescent girls were significantly better than caregivers in comprehending informed consent information overall and specifically on study procedures, voluntarism and study purpose. This suggests that adolescents can understand informed consent information at the same level as or better than caregivers who are entrusted with providing permission for adolescents to participate in research

Alternative medicine · Comprehension · Developmental psychology · Informed consent · Medical education · Child Abuse and Trauma · Computer Science · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions · Medicine · Psychology · Sex work and related issues