‘A Way to Know’ Your Stress: Acceptability and Meaning of Hair Sample Collection for Cortisol Analysis From African-American and Latina Women in a Digital Storytelling Study

Abstract

Obtaining biological samples for research purposes from members of marginalized communities demands careful social and ethical consideration. This paper aims to discuss how feasibility and acceptability translate into methodological and ethical considerations for collecting hair samples in a study comprised of young, pregnant Latinx and African-American women participating in a digital storytelling intervention (DST). Transcripts from two focus groups with Healthy Families home visitor staff (N =10) and follow-up interviews with DST participants (N = 8) were analyzed through qualitative content analysis for hair sampling acceptability. Responses regarding the feasibility of obtaining a hair sample were generally positive amongst Healthy Families home visitor staff participating in the two focus groups, though responses overall were more favorable with the pregnant women participants who were interviewed post-DST intervention. Home visitors emphasized clear communication to participants around the reasoning for obtaining biological samples. Social and ethical considerations for communication of biomarker data to participants, as well as the intersection of lay knowledge of stress and participants' perspectives on providing a hair sample for cortisol analysis, is discussed.