Disparities Persist in Inclusion of Female, Pregnant, Lactating, and Older Individuals in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinical Trials

Abstract

There is an intensified focus in the United States regarding the inclusion of under-represented groups in medical research, particularly clinical trials. Editorial boards of medical journals have released statements on diversity and inclusion in their publications as well as calls for clarity in sex-, gender-, racial-, and ethnic-related nomenclature.1,2 Despite formal recommendations from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to increase inclusion of women, older adults, and people who identify as members of racial or ethnic minority groups,3 recent studies using the largest database in the world, clinicaltrials.gov, have demonstrated disparities in inclusion.