Public feedback on a proposed statewide virtual translational research community

Abstract

Introduction: Researchers have explored using the internet and social media to recruit participants to specific research projects. Less systematic work has been done to inform the engagement of large populations in virtual communities to advance clinical and translational science. We report on our first step to use social media to engage Minnesota residents by studying the willingness of participants to engage in a virtual (Facebook) community about the concepts of health and health-related research. Methods: Data were collected at the 2018 Minnesota State Fair using a cross-sectional, 46-item survey with assessment including sociodemographics and willingness to engage in a Facebook group for health-related research. Quantitative analysis included univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses. Content analysis was used to generate themes from open-ended survey responses. Results: Five hundred people completed the survey; after data cleaning, 418 participant responses informed this report. A majority were younger than age 50 (73%), female (66%), and married/partnered (54%). Overall, 46% of participants agreed/strongly agreed they are willing to join the Facebook group. Multivariate logistic regression identified social media use over the past 6 months as the sole variable independently associated with willingness to join the Facebook group (once a day vs. never or rarely OR = 1.82 (0.86, 3.88), several hours a day vs. never or rarely OR = 2.17 (1.17, 4.02, overall p-value 0.048). Conclusion: Facebook holds potential for reaching a broader community, democratizing access to and engagement with clinical and translational research. Social media infrastructure and content could be disseminated to other institutions with Clinical and Translational Science Awards.

Feasibility of a virtual Facebook community platform for engagement on health research

“…Content included both noninteractive postings (e.g., research articles related to health research) and interactive postings/events (e.g., live interviews with researchers). Content for health topics was prioritized based on preferences suggested in our prior survey [20], including mental health, health and wellness (e.g., nutrition, physical activity), chronic diseases (e.g., cardiovascular disease), and immunology/infectious diseases. The onset of COVID-19 changed some of the posting plans for MN Research Link.…”

“…Another topic receiving attention in the news media during the program evaluation period was the health effects of vaping/electronic cigarette use; therefore, content was created to address this topic. Our prior survey [20] indicated that individuals wanted credible, accurate, and reliable health information and provision of research findings, as well as information about participating in research. For health topics, findings from research studies including research articles were included with a prioritization of research articles and studies with a connection to the Minnesota community.…”

“…(see Table 1). Additional content was designed to engage and keep people interested in the Facebook page, as recommended by survey respondents [20]. These included holiday recipes, health reminders, and pets as well as live events and polls.…”

“…At the 2018 Minnesota state fair, our research team assessed adult Minnesota residents' willingness and readiness to engage in a virtual Facebook community for conversations on health and research topics [20]. Among survey respondents with a personal Facebook profile (n = 418; 66% women), about half (46%) agreed/strongly agreed they would be willing to join a Facebook page focusing on health and research topics.…”

Rural–urban health disparities for mood disorders and obesity in a midwestern community

“…We focused on these two health outcomes, because mental health and obesity were identified as the top two community health priorities from 2014 to 2016 in all three counties [4][5][6][7]. In addition, a survey involving a convenience sample of 418 community members statewide in Minnesota (10% rural residence) revealed that mental health and wellness (e.g., obesity and physical activity) were reported as top health needs [8]. Consistent with a bi-directional approach to community engagement [9], we seek to understand the influence of rural-urban geographic location on disparities in health outcomes identified as important to our local communities.…”