Factors associated with willingness to participate in clinical trials: a nationwide survey study

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to investigate awareness of clinical trials (CTs) including perceptions of favorable feelings about, necessity for, and safety of CTs, the ultimate beneficiary of CTs and the factors associated with willingness to participate in CTs among the general population in South Korea. METHODS: A cross sectional survey study was conducted in a randomly selected national sample of 1,515 Korean. RESULTS: Perception toward CTs was measured using a scale from 0 (strongly disagree) to 10 (strongly agree). Respondents readily understood the necessity for CTs (M = 7.27, SD = 2.15); had moderately favorable feelings (M = 5.32, SD = 2.31) toward CTs and felt that these CTs were moderately safe (M = 4.71, SD = 1.90). Twenty-five percent of the respondents answered that they would be willing to participate in a CT in the future. Perception of the ultimate benefits of CTs, awareness, favorable feelings, safety, and necessity regarding CTs were identified as significant predictors of willingness to participate in CTs. CONCLUSION: An awareness of CTs and the perceptions toward CTs were associated with general public willingness to participate in a CT. Findings from this study can be used in planning outreach and recruitment strategies, and to understand the predictors of CT participation.