Increasing Representation of Historically Marginalized Populations in Allergy, Asthma, and Immunologic Research Studies: Challenges and Opportunities.

Abstract

A growing body of epidemiological data indicates that the prevalence and public health burden of asthma and other common allergic conditions (eg, atopic dermatitis, food allergy, allergic rhinitis, and drug allergy) is greatest among certain historically marginalized populations. However, these historically marginalized populations are often under-represented in research aiming to better understand, treat, and prevent these chronic conditions, raising concerns about the generalizability of the resulting study findings to those who are most affected. In a country as heterogeneous as the United States, with respect to race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, culture, geography, and behavior, researchers aiming to characterize the burden of allergic disease, evaluate treatments, and/or better understand its mechanisms must pay particular attention to whether their samples are sufficiently diverse and representative in order to maximize the validity-and scientific utility-of the resulting data. Therefore, the goal of this clinical commentary is to highlight the need for improved, more thoughtful representation of the full diversity of affected populations in allergy/immunology research and share best practices for study design, recruitment, retention, and data analysis, so that both the research process and products can have maximal public health impact.