Objectives:Data are meager regarding the prevalence of participation and the overall experience of African American elders in research across a variety of health-related studies. This study sought to increase our knowledge about older African Americans’ participation in health research by capturing some of their normative experiences and attitudes. Methods:Atelephone-based surveywas conducted on 1,290 urban African Americans = 60 years old. The assessment focused on issues of housing, neighborhoods, health, and experiences with health research. Results:The overall prevalence of respondents who took part in a health research projectwas 14%. Significant predictors included income, attitudes about fairness, perceptions of protection from harm, understanding of research as a key to improving health care, and participation in survey research. Discussion:Findings underscore the importance of addressing economic, educational, and trust barriers to research participation as well as the importance of conveying a sense of caring for the health of individuals and the community as a whole.
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