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Developing and Testing a Method for Engagement in Research Using WhatsApp (WI-CARE)

10. September 2026 aktualisiert von: Gloria Aidoo-Frimpong, State University of New York at Buffalo

WICARE: WhatsApp Immigrant-Centered Research Engagement

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.

Studienübersicht

Status

Noch keine Rekrutierung

Bedingungen

Intervention / Behandlung

Detaillierte Beschreibung

African immigrants are one of the fastest-growing immigrant populations in the United States but remain underrepresented in clinical, public health, and patient-centered research. Barriers to engagement include distrust of research institutions, concerns about privacy and immigration status, language differences, stigma, limited research literacy, and a lack of culturally appropriate engagement approaches. These barriers may limit opportunities for African immigrants to influence the questions, methods, implementation, interpretation, and dissemination of research relevant to their communities.

WhatsApp is widely used by African immigrant communities for communication, information sharing, and social support. Although researchers have used WhatsApp for participant recruitment and data collection, less is known about how the platform can support sustained and meaningful engagement across the research lifecycle. There is also no standard protocol to guide researchers in using WhatsApp for research engagement with African immigrant communities.

This mixed-methods study will develop and pilot the WhatsApp Immigrant-Centered Research Engagement (WI-CARE) protocol. WI-CARE will provide structured guidance for using WhatsApp features to support culturally and linguistically appropriate communication, privacy, trust, inclusion, and participation in research. The study is guided by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology and measures of patient engagement in research.

Aim 1 will identify the WhatsApp features and engagement practices that facilitate or hinder research engagement. Adult African immigrants will complete a survey about their experiences with WhatsApp, preferences for research communication and participation, perceived barriers, trust, privacy, and factors affecting their willingness to use WhatsApp for research engagement. Focus groups will provide additional information about participants' experiences and recommendations.

Aim 2 will use findings from Aim 1 to develop the WI-CARE protocol through a participatory process led by the study team, which includes African immigrant partner organizations and academic researchers. The protocol will address onboarding, informed consent, communication, privacy and confidentiality, multilingual engagement, facilitation, technical support, data collection, interpretation of findings, and dissemination. African immigrant patients and other experts will review the draft protocol for feasibility, usability, cultural relevance, and adaptability. Their feedback will guide iterative revisions.

Aim 3 will pilot WI-CARE among adult African immigrants residing in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. Approximately 300 participants will be enrolled in a centralized WhatsApp community. Participants will be invited to opt into structured scenarios based on their interests and availability. The scenarios will simulate activities conducted during different stages of research, including onboarding and consent, research planning, recruitment, data collection, interpretation of findings, and dissemination.

Within each scenario, trained facilitators will use the WI-CARE protocol to guide participants through research-related activities. Participants will then evaluate the clarity, accessibility, cultural relevance, privacy, and usability of the engagement process. WhatsApp activity metrics, surveys, and individual interviews will be used to assess participation, retention, task completion, engagement quality, trustworthiness, acceptability, usability, and feasibility. The study will also examine whether engagement experiences differ according to participant characteristics and geographic location.

Quantitative and qualitative findings will be integrated to identify areas of agreement, differences across participant groups, and aspects of the protocol requiring revision. The final WI-CARE protocol will provide an evidence-informed approach for using WhatsApp to engage African immigrant communities throughout the research process.

Studientyp

Interventionell

Einschreibung (Geschätzt)

300

Phase

  • Unzutreffend

Kontakte und Standorte

Dieser Abschnitt enthält die Kontaktdaten derjenigen, die die Studie durchführen, und Informationen darüber, wo diese Studie durchgeführt wird.

Studienkontakt

Studienorte

  • Vereinigte Staaten
    • Massachusetts
      • Boston, Massachusetts, Vereinigte Staaten, 02130
        • Multicultural AIDS Coalition

Teilnahmekriterien

Forscher suchen nach Personen, die einer bestimmten Beschreibung entsprechen, die als Auswahlkriterien bezeichnet werden. Einige Beispiele für diese Kriterien sind der allgemeine Gesundheitszustand einer Person oder frühere Behandlungen.

Zulassungskriterien

Studienberechtigtes Alter

  • Erwachsene
  • Älterer Erwachsener

Akzeptiert gesunde Freiwillige

Ja

Beschreibung

Inclusion Criteria:

Aim 1 survey and focus group participants:

  • Aged 18 years or older
  • Born in a sub-Saharan African country
  • Currently residing in the United States
  • Able to read and speak English, French, or Kiswahili
  • Able and willing to provide informed consent

Aim 2 expert panel participants:

  • Aged 18 years or older
  • Currently residing in the United States
  • Able to read and speak English, French, or Kiswahili
  • Able and willing to provide informed consent
  • Has relevant knowledge, professional experience, or lived experience related to African immigrant health or digital research engagement

Aim 3 pilot participants:

  • Aged 18 years or older
  • Born in a sub-Saharan African country
  • Currently residing in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, or Rhode Island
  • Able to read and speak English, French, or Kiswahili
  • Has access to an internet-connected device that can use WhatsApp
  • Able and willing to join the WI-CARE WhatsApp Community and participate in study activities conducted through WhatsApp
  • Able and willing to provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Younger than 18 years of age
  • Unable or unwilling to provide informed consent
  • Does not meet the eligibility requirements for the applicable study component

Studienplan

Dieser Abschnitt enthält Einzelheiten zum Studienplan, einschließlich des Studiendesigns und der Messung der Studieninhalte.

Wie ist die Studie aufgebaut?

Designdetails

  • Hauptzweck: Sonstiges
  • Zuteilung: N / A
  • Interventionsmodell: Einzelgruppenzuweisung
  • Maskierung: Keine (Offenes Etikett)

Waffen und Interventionen

Teilnehmergruppe / Arm
Intervention / Behandlung
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.
Verhalten: WI-CARE Protocol
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.

Was misst die Studie?

Primäre Ergebnismessungen

Ergebnis Maßnahme
Maßnahmenbeschreibung
Zeitfenster
Quality of Research Engagement
Zeitfenster: 6 months
Participant-reported quality of engagement will be assessed using the 22-item Patient Engagement in Research Scale (PEIRS-22). Item responses will be scored according to the PEIRS-22 scoring guidance. Higher scores indicate greater perceived quality of engagement.
6 months
Engagement Context
Zeitfenster: 12 months
Engagement context will be assessed using survey items based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. Separate scores will be calculated for performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, behavioral intention, and use behavior. These constructs assess the acceptability, usability, feasibility, and perceived effectiveness of WI-CARE. Each construct will be scored according to the final survey scoring procedures, with higher scores indicating a more favorable assessment of WI-CARE.
12 months

Sekundäre Ergebnismessungen

Ergebnis Maßnahme
Maßnahmenbeschreibung
Zeitfenster
WI-CARE Acceptability
Zeitfenster: 6 months
Acceptability will be assessed through exit-survey items measuring participants' satisfaction with WI-CARE and the extent to which they consider the protocol appropriate for engaging African immigrants in research. Responses will be summarized using item-level frequencies and mean or median scores, as appropriate. Higher ratings indicate greater acceptability.
6 months
WI-CARE Usability
Zeitfenster: 6 months
Usability will be assessed through survey items informed by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. Items will examine the ease of learning and using WI-CARE procedures and WhatsApp features, the clarity of scenario instructions, and the effort required to participate. Responses will be combined according to the final survey scoring procedures. Higher ratings indicate greater perceived usability.
6 months
Scenario Participation Rate
Zeitfenster: 6 months
The scenario participation rate will be calculated as the number of enrolled participants who enter and participate in each WI-CARE scenario divided by the number of enrolled participants invited to that scenario, multiplied by 100. Rates will be reported for each scenario and across the pilot.
6 months
Scenario Task Completion Rate
Zeitfenster: At the completion of each scenario, up to approximately 6 months after enrollment
The task completion rate will be calculated as the number of participants who complete the required activity within each WI-CARE scenario divided by the number of participants who begin that scenario, multiplied by 100. Activities may include completing a survey, participating in a group discussion, reviewing research findings, or providing feedback.
At the completion of each scenario, up to approximately 6 months after enrollment
Participant Retention Rate
Zeitfenster: At the end of the WI-CARE pilot, approximately 6 months after enrollment
The retention rate will be calculated as the number of enrolled participants who complete the final WI-CARE evaluation divided by the total number enrolled in the WI-CARE WhatsApp Community, multiplied by 100.
At the end of the WI-CARE pilot, approximately 6 months after enrollment
Trustworthiness of the Engagement Process
Zeitfenster: At the end of the WI-CARE pilot, approximately 6 months after enrollment
Participant perceptions of trustworthiness will be assessed through exit-survey items addressing transparency, respect, privacy, confidentiality, data security, and confidence in the WI-CARE engagement process. Responses will be summarized using item-level frequencies and mean or median scores, as appropriate. Higher ratings indicate greater perceived trustworthiness.
At the end of the WI-CARE pilot, approximately 6 months after enrollment
Frequency and Type of Participant Interactions
Zeitfenster: During each WI-CARE scenario, up to 6 months after enrollment
WhatsApp analytics will be used to calculate the number of participant interactions during each scenario. Interactions will be summarized overall and by communication type, including group messages, one-on-one text messages, audio notes, and media sharing.
During each WI-CARE scenario, up to 6 months after enrollment

Mitarbeiter und Ermittler

Hier finden Sie Personen und Organisationen, die an dieser Studie beteiligt sind.

Sponsor

State University of New York at Buffalo

Ermittler

  • Hauptermittler: Gloria AIDOO-FRIMPONG, PhD, MPH, MA, University at Buffalo

Publikationen und hilfreiche Links

Die Bereitstellung dieser Publikationen erfolgt freiwillig durch die für die Eingabe von Informationen über die Studie verantwortliche Person. Diese können sich auf alles beziehen, was mit dem Studium zu tun hat.

Allgemeine Veröffentlichungen

Nützliche Links

Studienaufzeichnungsdaten

Diese Daten verfolgen den Fortschritt der Übermittlung von Studienaufzeichnungen und zusammenfassenden Ergebnissen an ClinicalTrials.gov. Studienaufzeichnungen und gemeldete Ergebnisse werden von der National Library of Medicine (NLM) überprüft, um sicherzustellen, dass sie bestimmten Qualitätskontrollstandards entsprechen, bevor sie auf der öffentlichen Website veröffentlicht werden.

Haupttermine studieren

Studienbeginn (Geschätzt)

1. Dezember 2026

Primärer Abschluss (Geschätzt)

30. Juli 2028

Studienabschluss (Geschätzt)

30. Mai 2029

Studienanmeldedaten

Zuerst eingereicht

10. September 2026

Zuerst eingereicht, das die QC-Kriterien erfüllt hat

10. September 2026

Zuerst gepostet (Tatsächlich)

18. September 2026

Studienaufzeichnungsaktualisierungen

Letztes Update gepostet (Tatsächlich)

18. September 2026

Letztes eingereichtes Update, das die QC-Kriterien erfüllt

10. September 2026

Zuletzt verifiziert

1. September 2026

Mehr Informationen

Begriffe im Zusammenhang mit dieser Studie

Schlüsselwörter

Zusätzliche relevante MeSH-Bedingungen

Andere Studien-ID-Nummern

  • STUDY00010689
  • SOE-2024C3-42543 (Andere Zuschuss-/Finanzierungsnummer: PCORI)

Plan für individuelle Teilnehmerdaten (IPD)

Planen Sie, individuelle Teilnehmerdaten (IPD) zu teilen?

NEIN

Beschreibung des IPD-Plans

Individual participant data will not be shared with researchers outside the study team. The study includes qualitative data, WhatsApp engagement data, and information from members of relatively small and connected African immigrant communities. Even after removing direct identifiers, combining participants' demographic characteristics, migration histories, geographic locations, and narrative responses may create a risk of re-identification.

Arzneimittel- und Geräteinformationen, Studienunterlagen

Studiert ein von der US-amerikanischen FDA reguliertes Arzneimittelprodukt

Nein

Studiert ein von der US-amerikanischen FDA reguliertes Geräteprodukt

Nein

Diese Informationen wurden ohne Änderungen direkt von der Website clinicaltrials.gov abgerufen. Wenn Sie Ihre Studiendaten ändern, entfernen oder aktualisieren möchten, wenden Sie sich bitte an register@clinicaltrials.gov. Sobald eine Änderung auf clinicaltrials.gov implementiert wird, wird diese automatisch auch auf unserer Website aktualisiert .

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