Table 3 Influencing factors and motivators to research participation and barriers to retention: Oregon versus Appalachia PWUD

 What the research study involves (e.g., survey, drug testing for research)^c

71

8

111

65

–

–

 How much time is required

65

14

102

74

1.42*

(1.21, 1.67)

 How often they have to come in for visits

69

10

72

104

2.14*

(1.75, 2.60)

 How far they have to travel to participate (i.e., nearby vs. out of town)^c

70

9

92

84

–

–

 Privacy of the research office

65

14

110

66

1.32*

(1.13, 1.53)

 Why their information is being collected and what it will be used for

65

14

99

77

1.46*

(1.24, 1.73)

 Whether their information will be kept confidential^c

72

7

118

58

–

–

 Whether the staff doing the research is friendly and trustworthy^c

76

3

114

62

–

–

 Whether the research institution or university is respected

44

35

78

98

1.26

(0.97, 1.63)

 Whether they can skip questions of parts of the study that make them uncomfortable

60

19

88

88

1.52*

(1.25, 1.84)

 How much money they will receive^c

70

9

113

63

–

–

 How much the project will benefit them overall^c

70

9

88

88

–

–

 Whether their appointment times will interfere with their work schedule

46

33

63

113

1.63*

(1.24, 2.14)

 Whether they have childcare so that they can attend their appointments

51

28

74

102

1.54*

(1.21, 1.95)

 How their friends, family, or partner feels about them participating

49

30

64

112

1.71*

(1.31, 2.21)

 Financial incentive (i.e., money or gift card given for participation^c

79

0

134

42

–

–

 They believe in the mission of the research and want to contribute

61

18

96

80

1.42*

(1.18, 1.70)

 Their friends, family, or partner participates

65

14

97

79

1.49*

(1.26, 1.77)

 They want to tell their story

53

26

86

90

1.37*

(1.11, 1.70)

 They know someone on the research team and want to help them out

40

39

42

134

2.12*

(1.51, 2.99)

 They want to learn about the topic

51

28

79

97

1.44*

(1.14, 1.81)

 They would want to get free testing (for example, rapid tests for HIV & Hepatitis C) if it was offered as part of the study^c

71

8

102

74

–

–

 They would want to be linked with resources and/or follow-up testing if it was offered as part of the study

69

10

103

73

1.49*

(1.28, 1.73)

 They would want to try a new treatment if it was offered as part of the study

68

11

105

71

1.44*

(1.24, 1.68)

 Their friends, family, or partner pressures them to participate so that they can share the financial incentive

42

37

43

133

2.18*

(1.56, 3.03)

 Not being able to get in touch with participants because their contact information changed^c

74

5

133

43

–

–

 Not being able to get in touch with participants because they gave false contact information when they started the study

46

33

100

76

1.02

(0.82, 1.29)

 They may have trouble getting transportation for their appointments

64

15

124

52

1.15

(0.99, 1.33)

 They may have trouble being able to show up at a specific appointment time^c

72

7

108

68

–

–

 They may have trouble getting to their appointment because of their work schedule

51

28

71

105

1.60*

(1.26, 2.04)

 They may have trouble finding childcare so that they can go to their appointment

53

26

74

102

1.60*

(1.26, 2.01)

 They may have concerns about confidentiality and privacy

54

25

79

97

1.52*

(1.22, 1.90)

 They may be afraid that the staff would judge them if they are still using drugs

41

38

76

100

1.20

(0.92, 1.58)

 They may have stopped using drugs and no longer think the study is relevant to them

47

32

74

102

1.42*

(1.10, 1.82)

 They are in a drug treatment or recovery facility and are unable to be contacted by research staff

55

24

92

84

1.33*

(1.09, 1.63)

 Their friends, family, or partner may want them to stop participating

28

51

49

127

1.27

(0.87, 1.86)