Using social media to recruit individuals for health-related research: Feasibility and lessons learned

Leah E. Walsh, Lisa Carter-Bawa

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Online recruitment via social media for health-related research is increasing. Metrics regarding social media recruitment may increase its use in this field. This study evaluates the feasibility of recruiting individuals with a smoking history through targeted advertising on Facebook for a randomized study focused on lung cancer screening. Individuals completed eligibility questions and were randomized to one of two groups. We analyzed advertisement reach and response patterns, advertisement cost, data integrity and sample representativeness. The advertisement was active for 34 days and resulted in 2111 unique clicks on the survey link. Four hundred thirty-three eligibility entries were collected, and 61 entries were excluded due to failure to correctly answer the data integrity check. Two hundred eighty-two participants met eligibility criteria and were randomized, 191 participants completed questionnaires and 10 entries were subsequently excluded due to a failed attention check. Recruitment utilizing targeted advertising on Facebook is an effective and efficient strategy for health-related research.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)599-606
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Health Psychology
Volume28
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2023

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Applied Psychology

Keywords

  • Facebook
  • lung cancer
  • lung cancer screening
  • recruitment
  • social media

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