The study by Corbie-Smith, Thomas, and St. George examines the relationship between distrust and race in the context of clinical research participation among African Americans. The researchers analyzed data from 527 African American and 382 white respondents from a national telephone survey. The main outcome measure was a 7-item index of distrust, which assessed trust in physicians and the research process. Results showed that African American respondents were significantly more likely to distrust their physicians and believe that they were exposed to unnecessary risks (P<.01). They also had a significantly higher mean distrust index score (3.1 vs 1.8, P<.01). After controlling for other sociodemographic factors, race remained strongly associated with higher levels of distrust (prevalence odds ratio, 4.7; 95% confidence interval, 2.9-7.7). The study concludes that even after controlling for markers of social class, African Americans are less trusting than white Americans, which has important implications for researchers engaging African Americans in clinical research. The findings highlight the need for ongoing engagement, dialogue, and feedback to build trust and address racial disparities in research participation.The study by Corbie-Smith, Thomas, and St. George examines the relationship between distrust and race in the context of clinical research participation among African Americans. The researchers analyzed data from 527 African American and 382 white respondents from a national telephone survey. The main outcome measure was a 7-item index of distrust, which assessed trust in physicians and the research process. Results showed that African American respondents were significantly more likely to distrust their physicians and believe that they were exposed to unnecessary risks (P<.01). They also had a significantly higher mean distrust index score (3.1 vs 1.8, P<.01). After controlling for other sociodemographic factors, race remained strongly associated with higher levels of distrust (prevalence odds ratio, 4.7; 95% confidence interval, 2.9-7.7). The study concludes that even after controlling for markers of social class, African Americans are less trusting than white Americans, which has important implications for researchers engaging African Americans in clinical research. The findings highlight the need for ongoing engagement, dialogue, and feedback to build trust and address racial disparities in research participation.