Table 2.
Summary of mothers’ responses to open-ended questions regarding acceptability of hair/saliva collection
| Category | Responses N (%) | Exemplary quotes/notes |
|---|---|---|
| No questions or concerns | 55 (56) | 28 (51.9%) control mothers and 27 (62.7%) intervention mothers reported no questions or concerns about hair or saliva biomarkers |
| Clarification regarding biomarker testing | 15 (15.5) | Mother asked for clarification regarding what would be measured with the biomarker tests |
| “What are the tests for? Will I get results?” | ||
| Mother wanted to know if she will be informed if stress levels are very high | ||
| Mother wondered about results and whether she will be contacted | ||
| Cosmetic concerns | 11 (11.3) | Mother concerned about braiding removal |
| Mother worried about how much hair will be cut; agreed to allow small amounts to be cut at a time and measured on a scale so that no extra hair taken | ||
| Mother concerned about taking hair out of ponytail because hair thick/curly | ||
| Positive comments | 9 (9.3) | “It’s something cool to learn about, it’s interesting” |
| Mother did saliva sampling herself as a child for a different study so she said she knows what’s involved and is not worried | ||
| “I don’t find it horrible, it’s just a few strands” | ||
| Mother has participated in past research studies with her son because she knows it can help other people | ||
| Advice for hair/saliva collection | 8 (8.2) | “Make sure you say it’s not going to hurt” |
| Mother asked us to be slow, soft, and gentle with hair collection because daughter has curly hair and sensitive scalp | ||
| Mother suggested cutting hair when her son is distracted because he may get upset | ||
| “He might want mom to help” | ||
| Concerns about child discomfort | 5 (5.1) | Mother concerned that cutting hair would hurt her child because her daughter’s scalp is sensitive |
| Mother concerned about hair being pulled and that it may be painful or uncomfortable for the child | ||
| Mother refused to participate in hair and saliva collection because she felt it was too invasive and did not think her husband would feel comfortable | ||
| Concerns about use of data | 3 (3.1) | Mother stated that child’s grandmother was concerned about type of testing that would be done and whether information would be provided to Child Protective Services |
| Mother stated she wants to make sure we’re not using it for anything else | ||
| Mother concerned that people might do bad things with hair and curse it |
Some mothers’ responses were coded under more than one theme; percentages represent number of responses that endorsed a specific theme, not individual participants