Developing and Testing a Method for Engagement in Research Using WhatsApp

Part of paid clinical trials in Boston, Massachusetts.

Sponsor
State University of New York at Buffalo
Study ID
NCT07826962
Status
Not Yet Recruiting

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Conditions

  • Patient Engagement

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
18 Years - N/A
Healthy Volunteers
Accepted

Interventions

  • WI-CARE Protocol — BEHAVIORAL
    WI-CARE is a culturally and linguistically tailored protocol for engaging African immigrants in research through WhatsApp. The protocol provides structured procedures for onboarding and informed consent, communication, privacy and confidentiality, facilitation, technical support, and participation in research activities. Trained facilitators will use WI-CARE to guide participants through scenarios representing research planning, recruitment, data collection, interpretation of findings, and dissemination. Participants may communicate through text, voice notes, audio or video calls, surveys, polls, group discussions, and multimedia features. Participants will provide feedback on the clarity, accessibility, cultural relevance, acceptability, usability, and trustworthiness of the engagement process.

Study Details

African immigrants are underrepresented in health research in the United States. Barriers to research participation may include limited access to culturally and linguistically appropriate information, concerns about privacy, distrust of research institutions, stigma, and difficulty participating in traditional in-person activities. WhatsApp is commonly used within African immigrant communities, but there is limited evidence about how it can support meaningful engagement throughout the research process. This study will develop and test the WhatsApp Immigrant-Centered Research Engagement (WI-CARE) protocol. WI-CARE will provide researchers and community partners with structured guidance for using WhatsApp to engage African immigrants in research planning, recruitment, data collection, interpretation, and dissemination. The study has three aims. First, the research team will conduct surveys and focus groups to identify the WhatsApp features and engagement practices that facilitate or hinder participation in research. Second, the study team and African immigrant partners will use these findings to develop and refine the WI-CARE protocol. Third, the protocol will be tested through structured scenarios that simulate activities conducted during different stages of research. Participants will provide feedback about the acceptability, usability, feasibility, cultural relevance, privacy, trustworthiness, and quality of engagement supported by WI-CARE. The study will include adult African immigrants living in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. Findings will be used to refine WI-CARE and inform the use of digital platforms to support equitable engagement of African immigrant communities in health research.

Key Dates

First listed
Sep 18, 2026
Start date
Dec 1, 2026
Status verified
Sep 2026
Primary completion
Jul 30, 2028
Completion
May 30, 2029

Study Design

Enrollment
300 participants (estimated)
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
OTHER

Arms

  • Experimental: WI-CARE Protocol
    Participants will join the centralized WI-CARE WhatsApp Community and receive structured onboarding, communication, privacy, facilitation, and research-engagement procedures. Participants will be invited to take part in six scenarios representing activities across the research lifecycle. Scenario participation will be based on participants' interests and availability. All participants will be considered part of the same study arm.

Primary Outcome Measure

Quality of Research Engagement [ Time Frame: 6 months ]

Central Contacts

Locations (1)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
Multicultural AIDS CoalitionBostonMassachusetts02130-

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By research site
Multicultural AIDS Coalition· Boston, MA

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