Consent for long-term storage of blood samples by Indigenous Australian research participants: the DRUID Study experience

Cunningham, Joan; Dunbar, Terry

doi:10.1186/1742-5573-4-7

Epidemiologic Perspectives & Innovations

Table 2 Relationship of consent to store blood with selected socio-cultural, economic and demographic characteristics. Among 854 urban Indigenous Australian research participants who completed a questionnaire and provided a fasting blood sample in 2003–2005.

From: Consent for long-term storage of blood samples by Indigenous Australian research participants: the DRUID Study experience

	% of total	% who agreed to long-term storage	Unadjusted model		Age-adjusted model		Final model†‡ (n = 770)
			OR*	95% CI*	OR*	95% CI*	OR*	95% CI*
Sex
Male	31.6	59.6	1.08	0.81, 1.45	1.10	0.82, 1.47
Female	68.4	57.7	1.0	---	1.0	---
Age group‡
15–44	71.0	55.3	1.0	---	---		1.0	---
45–81	29.0	65.7	1.55	1.14, 2.11	---		1.49	1.04, 2.13
Indigenous group
Aboriginal only	83.6	56.7	1.0	---	1.0	---	1.0	---
Torres Strait Islander only	5.8	70.0	1.78	0.96, 3.32	1.78	0.95, 3.33	1.85	0.96, 3.57
Both Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander	10.5	64.4	1.38	0.88, 2.18	1.40	0.89, 2.22	1.59	0.97, 2.60
Age left school§
< 14 years or never went	5.4	56.5	0.99	0.54, 1.81	0.77	0.41, 1.46	0.84	0.42, 1.69
14–15 years	22.7	63.5	1.33	0.95, 1.86	1.18	0.84, 1.68	1.49	1.02, 2.18
≥ 16 years or still at school	71.9	56.7	1.0	---	1.0	---	1.0	---
In full-time employment§
Yes	43.7	57.5	0.93	0.71, 1.23	0.94	0.71, 1.24
No	56.3	59.2	1.0	---	1.0	---
Housing tenure§
Owned or being purchased	42.5	61.3	1.24	0.94, 1.64	1.21	0.91, 1.60
Rented or other tenure	57.5	56.1	1.0	---	1.0	---
Private health insurance§
Yes	24.5	65.8	1.54	1.09, 2.16	1.50	1.06, 2.11
No	75.5	55.6	1.0	---	1.0	---
Smoking status§
Current smoker	43.5	52.2	1.0	---	1.0	---	1.0	---
Former smoker	24.2	60.8	1.42	1.00, 2.01	1.35	0.95, 1.91	1.24	0.85, 1.80
Never smoker	32.3	64.0	1.63	1.18, 2.24	1.59	1.15, 2.20	1.48	1.04, 2.10
Identifies with clan, tribal, language group§
Yes	61.2	59.8	1.0	---	1.0	---
No	38.8	56.7	0.88	0.66, 1.17	0.94	0.71, 1.26
Has non-Indigenous grandparents§
Yes	69.3	63.8	1.90	1.40, 2.58	1.98	1.45, 2.70	2.07	1.50, 2.85
No	30.7	48.1	1.0	---	1.0	---	1.0	---
Identifies as member of Stolen Generations§, ¶
Yes	27.1	63.6	1.34	0.96, 1.86	1.27	0.91, 1.77
No	72.9	56.7	1.0	---	1.0	---
Staff member who witnessed consent is Indigenous§
Yes	40.9	63.3	1.43	1.08, 1.89	1.36	1.02, 1.80	1.43	1.05, 1.94
No	59.1	54.8	1.0	---	1.0	---	1.0	---

* OR, odds ratio; CI, confidence interval. Both were obtained from a logistic regression model.
† Includes all factors for which an estimate is shown.
‡ Similar results were obtained using 10-year age groups.
§ N = 854 except as indicated: age left school (n = 846); full-time employment (n = 836); housing tenure (n = 844); private health insurance (n = 775); smoking status (n = 842); identifies with clan, tribal or language group (n = 828); has non-Indigenous grandparents (n = 785); identifies as a member of the Stolen Generations (n = 760); Staff member who witnessed the consent is Indigenous (n = 853).
¶ A term referring to Indigenous people who were forcibly removed from their families as children by police or welfare officers as part of government assimilation policies [11].

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