Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Predictors of biospecimen donation in the Black Women’s Health Study

  • Original paper
  • Published:
Cancer Causes & Control Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Although African-Americans experience higher cancer morbidity and mortality rates compared to their White counterparts, their participation in biospecimen research is lower than that of their white peers. This study investigated the prevalence and predictors of biospecimen donation in a large, cohort study of Black women.

Methods

The BWHS is a follow-up study of U.S. Black women aged 21–69 years enrolled through postal health questionnaires. Between January 2004 and December 2007, participants were sent a consent form with a postage-paid return envelope, and a mouthwash collection kit. Univariate and age- and educational status-adjusted logistic regression models were used to estimate the association of socio-demographic, lifestyle and medical factors with donation of biospecimens.

Results

Buccal cells with consent forms were obtained from 26,790 women, for a response rate of 51 %. The strongest predictors of biospecimen donation were age: response increased from 48.6 % among those aged <40 to 63.1 % among those aged 60 and older [RR 1.30 (95 % CI 1.27, 1.34)]; multivitamin use [RR (95 % CI) 1.32 (1.30, 1.34)]; physician visit in the previous 2 years [RR (95 % CI) 1.61 (1.58, 1.65)], and a history of breast [RR (95 % CI) 1.59 (1.56, 1.63)], colon [RR (95 % CI) 1.18 (1.16, 1.20)], and cervical [RR (95 % CI) 1.63 (1.60, 1.67)] cancer screening.

Conclusions

We found that 51 % of women in the geographically-dispersed Black Women’s Health Study cohort were willing to provide mouthwash samples to be used for genetic analyses. The response in this study is encouraging given published findings of low overall participation rates of African-Americans in genetic studies.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Vaught J, Rogers J, Myers K, Lim MD, Lockhart N, Moore H et al (2011) An NCI perspective on creating sustainable biospecimen resources. J Natl Cancer Inst Monogr (42):1–7

  2. Hewitt RE (2011) Biobanking: the foundation of personalized medicine. Curr Opin Oncol 23(1):112–119

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Moore HM, Compton CC, Lim MD, Vaught J, Christiansen KN, Alper J (2009) Biospecimen research network symposium: advancing cancer research through biospecimen science. Cancer Res 69(17):6770–6772

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  4. Waltz E (2007) Tracking down tissues. Nat Biotechnol 25(11):1204–1206

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Luque JS, Quinn GP, Montel-Ishino FA, Arevalo M, Bynum SA, Noel-Thomas S et al (2012) Formative research on perceptions of biobanking: what community members think. J Cancer Educ 27(1):91–99

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  6. Kiviniemi MT, Saad-Harfouche FG, Ciupak GL, Davis W, Moysich K, Hargrave NC et al (2013) Pilot intervention outcomes of an educational program for biospecimen research participation. J Cancer Educ 28(1):52–59

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  7. Royal C, Baffoe-Bonnie A, Kittles R, Powell I, Bennett J, Hoke G et al (2000) Recruitment experience in the first phase of the African American Hereditary Prostate Cancer (AAHPC) study. Ann Epidemiol 10(8 Suppl):S68–S77

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Shavers VL, Lynch CF, Burmeister LF (2002) Racial differences in factors that influence the willingness to participate in medical research studies. Ann Epidemiol 12(4):248–256

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Shavers-Hornaday VL, Lynch CF, Burmeister LF, Torner JC (1997) Why are African Americans under-represented in medical research studies? Impediments to participation. Ethn Health 2(1–2):31–45

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Gamble VN (1993) A legacy of distrust: African Americans and medical research. Am J Prev Med 9(6 Suppl):35–38

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Cozier YC, Palmer JR, Rosenberg L (2004) Comparison of methods for collection of DNA samples by mail in the Black Women’s Health Study. Ann Epidemiol 14(2):117–122

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Le Marchand L, Lum-Jones A, Saltzman B, Visaya V, Nomura AM, Kolonel LN (2001) Feasibility of collecting buccal cell DNA by mail in a cohort study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 10(6):701–703

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Freeman B, Powell J, Ball D, Hill L, Craig I, Plomin R (1997) DNA by mail: an inexpensive and noninvasive method for collecting DNA samples from widely dispersed populations. Behav Genet 27(3):251–257

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Garcia-Closas M, Egan KM, Abruzzo J, Newcomb PA, Titus-Ernstoff L, Franklin T et al (2001) Collection of genomic DNA from adults in epidemiological studies by buccal cytobrush and mouthwash. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 10(6):687–696

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Rogers NL, Cole SA, Lan HC, Crossa A, Demerath EW (2007) New saliva DNA collection method compared to buccal cell collection techniques for epidemiological studies. Am J Hum Biol 19(3):319–326

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  16. Lum A, Le Marchand L (1998) A simple mouthwash method for obtaining genomic DNA in molecular epidemiological studies. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 7(8):719–724

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Andrisin TE, Humma LM, Johnson JA (2002) Collection of genomic DNA by the noninvasive mouthwash method for use in pharmacogenetic studies. Pharmacotherapy 22(8):954–960

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Feigelson HS, Rodriguez C, Robertson AS, Jacobs EJ, Calle EE, Reid YA et al (2001) Determinants of DNA yield and quality from buccal cell samples collected with mouthwash. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 10(9):1005–1008

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Russell C, Palmer JR, Adams-Campbell LL, Rosenberg L (2001) Follow-up of a large cohort of Black women. Am J Epidemiol 154(9):845–853

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Palmer JR, Ruiz-Narvaez EA, Rotimi CN, Cupples LA, Cozier YC, Adams-Campbell LL et al (2013) Genetic susceptibility loci for subtypes of breast cancer in an African American population. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 22(1):127–134

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  21. Furr LA (2002) Perceptions of genetics research as harmful to society: differences among samples of African-Americans and European-Americans. Genet Test 6(1):25–30

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Thompson HS, Valdimarsdottir HB, Jandorf L, Redd W (2003) Perceived disadvantages and concerns about abuses of genetic testing for cancer risk: differences across African American, Latina and Caucasian women. Patient Educ Couns 51(3):217–227

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Moorman PG, Skinner CS, Evans JP, Newman B, Sorenson JR, Calingaert B et al (2004) Racial differences in enrolment in a cancer genetics registry. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 13(8):1349–1354

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Dash C, Wallington SF, Muthra S, Dodson E, Mandelblatt J, Adams-Campbell LL (2014) Disparities in knowledge and willingness to donate research biospecimens: a mixed-methods study in an underserved urban community. J Community Genet 5(4):329–336

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  25. Gamble VN (1997) Under the shadow of Tuskegee: African Americans and health care. Am J Public Health 87(11):1773–1778

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  26. Stern AM (2005) Sterilized in the name of public health: race, immigration, and reproductive control in modern California. Am J Public Health 95(7):1128–1138

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  27. Randall VR (1996) Slavery, segregation and racism: trusting the health care system ain’t always easy! An African American perspective on bioethics. St Louis Univ Public Law Rev 15(2):191–235

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Day JC, Curry AE (1998) Educational attainment in the United States. Current Population Reports. US Department of Commerce, March 1998 (update)

  29. Liard PW (2010) Principles and challenges of genome-wide DNA methylation analysis. Nat Rev Genet 11:191–203

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Palmer JR, Ruiz-Narvaez EA, Rotimi CN, Cupples LA, Cozier YC, Adams-Campbell LL, Rosenberg L (2013) Genetic susceptibility loci for subtypes of breast cancer in an African American population. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 22(1):127–134. doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-12-0769

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  31. Wise   LA, Palmer JR, Ruiz-Narvaez E, Reich DE, Rosenberg L (2013) Is the observed association between dairy intake and fibroids in African Americans explained by genetic ancestry? Am J Epidemiol 178(7):1114–1119. doi:10.1093/aje/kwt091

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  32. Cozier YC, Ruiz-Narvaez E, McKinnon C, Berman J, Rosenberg L, Palmer J (2013) Replication of genetic loci for sarcoidosis in US Black women: data from the Black Women’s Health Study. Hum Genet 132(7):803–810. doi:10.1007/s00439-013-1292-5

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The study was supported by Grant CA098663 from the National Cancer Institute. The BWHS is supported by CA58420 and UM1CA164974.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Georgetown-Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, 3970 Reservoir Road, N.W., E501, Washington, DC, 20057, USA

    Lucile L. Adams-Campbell & Chiranjeev Dash

  2. Slone Epidemiology Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA

    Julie R. Palmer, Manuela V. Wiedemeier, Cordelia W. Russell, Lynn Rosenberg & Yvette C. Cozier

Authors
  1. Lucile L. Adams-Campbell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Chiranjeev Dash
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Julie R. Palmer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Manuela V. Wiedemeier
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Cordelia W. Russell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Lynn Rosenberg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Yvette C. Cozier
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lucile L. Adams-Campbell.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

There is no conflict of interest reported from the authors of this manuscript.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Adams-Campbell, L.L., Dash, C., Palmer, J.R. et al. Predictors of biospecimen donation in the Black Women’s Health Study. Cancer Causes Control 27, 797–803 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-016-0747-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-016-0747-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation