Assent and consent in adolescent research: teachers’ perspectives from a developing country

Abstract

Teachers play a vital role in facilitating research in schools. However, teachers' views of informed consent/assent for children participation in research in the Middle East have not been investigated. In this study, focus group interviews were conducted to understand high-school teachers' perspectives toward adolescent assents and consents. The teachers indicated that parent consent is important and should be coupled with sufficient information about the research study. The teachers added that assent is most important for children above 13 years old. Conversely, the teachers believed that parent approval is only important for invasive (such as research involves blood withdrawal) but not simple procedures. Most importantly, for procedures that are considered simple, part of the teachers do not acknowledge the significance of parental approval, such as body weight, or beneficial, such as new treatment. The results indicate that some of the teachers' views were consistent with proper conduction of pediatric research. However, other views were worrisome and might warrant further studies and actions. Risks related need to be assessed and policies needs to be developed in order to ensure the proper conduction of pediatric research.

Assent, parental consent and reconsent for health research in Africa: thematic analysis of national guidelines and lessons from the SickleInAfrica registry

“…Disease registries that collect clinical records with the goal of using the de-identified data for research purposes, pose no more than minimal risk to participants. It is worth exploring if research ethics committees may grant a waiver of active parental consent for older minors that are able to read and comprehend research information presented in consent documents search procedures [ 29 – 31 ]. This has the advantage of reducing logistical challenges of obtaining parental consent for minimal risk studies.…”

Exploration of Barriers to the Uptake of Nutritional Services Among Adolescent Girls from the Rural Communities of Tigray Region, Northern Ethiopia: A Qualitative Study

“…In line with this, there is evidence that supports school children and adolescents having an active involvement in deciding either to participate or refuse in such non-invasive research types. 41 , 42 As a result, for the out-of-school adolescent girls’ interview, firstly, we communicated with the villages’ leaders and parents about the purpose of our study in detail; and they provided us their verbal informed assent to proceed with meeting the eligible adolescent girls. Next, we directly communicated with the adolescent girls about the aim of our study by raising the points that participating causes no harm to them or anyone, they have the right to withdraw at any step of the interview, to maintain the confidentiality all the information they provided us, and to omit their names and private characteristics in our resulting communication with any third-body.…”

“…Similarly, we applied the same fashion to undergo the interview with the in-school-adolescents and school teachers. That is, after we obtained the verbal informed assent from the respective school directors for their authority and responsibility of their school adolescents; 42 then next, we got a positive agreement of the school adolescent girls and a verbal informed consent from the school teachers to participate in the qualitative study.…”