Using Focus Groups to Explore Perceptions of Adults With Low Socioeconomic Status Regarding the NutriQuébec Study

Recruiting Participants With Low Socioeconomic Status in the NutriQuébec Study: Using Focus Groups to Explore Their Beliefs, Preferences and Concerns

NutriQuébec is a web-based prospective cohort study aiming to monitor and analyse the evolution of Québec population eating habits through annual questionnaires. The recruitment and retention of participants with low socioeconomic status (SES), known to be more hard to reach and recruit into health studies, will be major challenges in obtaining a representative sample of the Québec population.

The purpose of this study is to identify the behavioural, normative and control beliefs of individuals from low SES regarding a hypothetical participation in the NutriQuébec study. Their preferences regarding recruitment methods as well as their concerns about the security, use and share of data will also be identified.

Four moderator facilitated focus groups will be conducted in community centres (n=28 participants). The focus groups will be recorded, transcribed and coded by two coders using NVivo.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Focus Groups
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Focus groups

Detailed Description

Four focus groups will be conducted in three community centers (n=6 to 8 participants/group; n=28 participants). First, all participants will read and sign the consent form. They will also complete a sociodemographic questionnaire. Then, the moderator will conduct the discussion using a semi-structured interview guide, based on the construct of the Theory of Planned Behaviour. The interview guide has been developed to identify the beliefs that determine the participants' attitudes (advantages/disadvantages), subjective norms (approval/disapproval of important others) and perceived behavioral control (facilitators/barriers) related to a hypothetical participation in the NutriQuébec study. The participants will also be questioned about their preferences regarding the recruitment as well as their concerns about the security, use and share of data. The focus groups will be recorded and transcribed. Two coders will perform the codification independently using NVivo 10.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 28

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Canada
  • Québec, Canada, G1V 0A6
    • Laval University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Adults with low socioeconomic status

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adults (18 years of age and older)
• Living in the Québec City Metropolitan Area
• Attending one of the three community centers where the focus groups will be conducted
• Be able to answer questionnaires in French

Exclusion Criteria:

None

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Intervention / Treatment

Adults with low socio-economic status; Four focus groups will be conducted with adults with low socioeconomic status recruited through community centres in the Québec City area.

Other: Focus groups; Participants will also complete a sociodemographic questionnaire. The moderator will conduct the discussion using a semi-structured interview guide, based on the construct of the Theory of Planned Behaviour. The interview guide has been developed to identify the beliefs that determine the participants' attitudes (advantages/disadvantages), subjective norms (approval/disapproval of important others) and perceived behavioural control (facilitators/barriers) related to a hypothetical participation in the NutriQuébec study. The participants will also be questioned about their preferences regarding the recruitment as well as their concerns about the security, use and share of data.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
The perceived advantages related to a hypothetical participation in the NutriQuébec study is based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (behavioural beliefs) and will be identified from focus groups.	The perceived advantages related to a hypothetical participation in the NutriQuébec study is based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (behavioural beliefs) and will be identified from focus groups. The question asked to participants will be: In your opinion, what would be the advantages of participating in the NutriQuébec study?	Baseline
The perceived disadvantages related to a hypothetical participation in the NutriQuébec study is based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (behavioural beliefs) and will be identified from focus groups.	The perceived disadvantages related to a hypothetical participation in the NutriQuébec study is based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (behavioural beliefs) and will be identified from focus groups. The question asked to participants will be: In your opinion, what would be the disadvantages of participating in the NutriQuébec study?	Baseline
The persons most likely to approve the participant hypothetical participation in the NutriQuébec study is based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (normative beliefs) and will be identified from focus groups.	The persons most likely to approve the participant hypothetical participation in the NutriQuébec study is based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (normative beliefs) and will be identified from focus groups. The question asked to participants will be: Among the people (groups or individuals) important to you, which ones would agree that you should participate in the NutriQuébec study? For what reasons?	Baseline
The persons most likely to disapprove the participant hypothetical participation in the NutriQuébec study is based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (normative beliefs) and will be identified from focus groups.	The persons most likely to disapprove the participant hypothetical participation in the NutriQuébec study is based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (normative beliefs) and will be identified from focus groups. The question asked to participants will be: Among the people (groups or individuals) important to you, which ones would not agree with the fact that you are participating in the NutriQuébec study? For what reasons?	Baseline
The facilitators related to a hypothetical participation in the NutriQuébec study is based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (control beliefs) and will be identified from focus groups.	The facilitators related to a hypothetical participation in the NutriQuébec study is based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (control beliefs) and will be identified from focus groups. The question asked to participants will be: In your opinion, what would help you participate in the NutriQuébec study?	Baseline
The barriers related to a hypothetical participation in the NutriQuébec study is based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (control beliefs) and will be identified from focus groups.	The barriers related to a hypothetical participation in the NutriQuébec study is based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (control beliefs) and will be identified from focus groups. The question asked to participants will be: In your opinion, what would prevent you from participating in the NutriQuébec study?	Baseline

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
The preferences about the recruitment in the NutriQuébec study will be identified from focus groups.	The preferences about the recruitment in the NutriQuébec study will be identified from focus groups. The question is: What ways would be effective to recruit you into the NutriQuébec study? If we advertised the NutriQuébec study, how could you hear about us?	Baseline
The concerns about the security of the data in the NutriQuébec study will be identified from focus groups.	The concerns about the security of the data in the NutriQuébec study will be identified from focus groups. The question is: Do you have any concerns about the security of the data that will be collected using the web questionnaires?	Baseline
The concerns about the use of the data in the NutriQuébec study will be identified from focus groups.	The concerns about the use of the data in the NutriQuébec study will be identified from focus groups. The question is: Do you have any concerns about the use and sharing of data between different researchers, knowing that they will not have access to your personal data such as your name and health insurance number?	Baseline
The concerns about the share of the data in the NutriQuébec study will be identified from focus groups.	The concerns about the share of the data in the NutriQuébec study will be identified from focus groups. The question is: Do you have any concerns about the use and sharing of data between different researchers, knowing that they will not have access to your personal data such as your name and health insurance number?	Baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Laval University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 22, 2018
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 12, 2018
• Study Completion (Actual): June 12, 2018

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 10, 2019
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 19, 2019
• First Posted (Actual): February 21, 2019

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 21, 2019
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 19, 2019
• Last Verified: February 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Recruitment; Web-based prospective cohort study; Focus groups; Low socioeconomic status population; Behavioural beliefs; Normative beliefs; Control beliefs; Security of data; Use of data; Share of data
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2018-042 A-1/18-05-2018

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No