State University of New York at Buffalo
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.
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…
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 rese…
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.