Receptiveness to participating in cannabis research in pregnancy: a survey study at The Ottawa Hospital

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of cannabis use among pregnant individuals in Canada is increasing. In the design of new cohort studies to evaluate the patterns and outcomes of cannabis use in pregnancy, consideration must be given to the factors influencing participation, data sharing, and contribution of biological samples. Our objective was to assess the willingness of pregnant individuals to participate in prospective research during pregnancy. Methods: We surveyed pregnant individuals receiving obstetrical care through The Ottawa Hospital in Ottawa, Canada. The survey consisted of 23 dichotomous (yes/no), multiple-choice, Likert scale, and open-ended questions. Individuals were provided with a hypothetical research scenario and asked to report on the likelihood of their participation, use and storage of personal health information and contribution of maternal and newborn samples. Individuals provided motivating and deterring factors related to research participation. Descriptive statistics included frequencies (n) and percentages (%) for categorical variables. Continuous variables were described using means and standard deviations. Results: A total of 84 survey responses were collected. The mean age of respondents was 32.6(±5.3) years. Respondents were predominantly Caucasian (79%), college/university educated (85%) with a household income of ≥$100,000 (64%). There was a high degree of willingness to participate in prospective research by sharing data and biological samples. The most commonly cited motivating and deterring factors for participating in future research were a desire to contribute to science and health information (79%) and fear of privacy invasion (17%), respectively. Conclusions: Pregnant individuals receiving care at The Ottawa Hospital are willing to participate in prospective research studies, including those related to cannabis use. Survey respondents were predominantly of higher socioeconomic status, and few individuals reported cannabis use during pregnancy. Future studies should accommodate multiple recruitment strategies and flexible study designs to encourage enrollment from and retention across diverse sociodemographic communities.