Minority Recruitment and Participation in Health Research

ince 1993, all investigators funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct clinical research have been expected to demonstrate appropriate inclusion of racial and ethnic minorities and women in their research or clearly demonstrate why they should be excluded in order to pursue a specific research objective. This mandate, the NIH Revitalization Act, was a response to the realization that women and minorities were underrepresented in clinical research. These guidelines have mandated the inclusion of minorities in clinical research in an effort to better understand disparities in health and to improve the generalizability of research findings. While few would argue with the goals of this mandate, investigators have been challenged in its implementation. This article gives an overview of some of the challenges raised by minority participation in research and describes some of the consequences of a lack of minority involvement in research.