Can married minors give consent to participate in research?
Federal human subject regulations defer to state law when defining a minor. According to Iowa law, an adult is an individual who is married or a person who is 18 years old or older. So, a married minor can consent to participate in research studies. Definitions of a minor vary by state, and investigators should check the applicable state laws if they are recruiting individuals from another state to participate in research, particularly college freshmen.
