Abstract
Background
Acceptability of alcohol consumption varies wildly across cultures. Several factors such as religious beliefs and social desirability might influence reporting of such behaviors to researchers during relevant investigations.
Aims
This study aimed at assessing reporting of alcohol consumption during participation in research studies in Jordan, and identifying potential reasons and ethical challenges associated with reporting this behavior.
Subjects and methods
A sample of 400 Jordanians was anonymously surveyed regarding alcohol consumption reporting.
Results
The study showed a tendency of not reporting alcohol consumption in research (56.8%). Religious belief and trust issues regarding reporting sensitive information during participation in research were significantly the main reasons of not reporting alcohol drinking (P<0.05), while social shame effect was limited to rural areas (P<0.05).
Conclusion
Raising Jordanians’ awareness of benefits of reporting alcohol consumption is highly recommended. Improving confidence in privacy and data confidentiality among Jordanians might help in improving the level of reporting during participation in research.
Acknowledgments
This project was carried out as part of “The Research Ethics Education Program in Jordan” and has been supported by National Institute of Health grant (number 1R25TW010026-01, Al-delaimy, Wael, PI).
Disclosure
The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.