OBJECTIVE: To assess consent rates and reasons for refusing consent after the introduction of peer navigators into the Outcomes of Babies With Opioid Exposure (OBOE) Study. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of data from the OBOE Study, a multisite observational study. SETTING: Medical centers in Alabama, Ohio, and Pennsylvania (N = 4). PARTICIPANTS: Data about the use of peer navigators were obtained from the primary study, including 1,255 mothers or caregivers who were approached regarding participation in the study. METHODS: We used χ RESULTS: Following the addition of peer navigators, study consent rates significantly improved (29% of 852 before vs. 38% of 403 after
p = .001), and the percentage of potential participants who indicated that they were not interested in sharing information for research significantly decreased (41% of 247 vs. 26% of 115
p = .005). CONCLUSION: We demonstrate the potential effect of peer navigators on consent and interest in sharing information for research in a longitudinal research study. We recommend the inclusion of peer navigators in studies with high-risk populations.