Mizrach Helen R, Markwart Michaela, Rosen Rachel L, Park Elyse R, Finkelstein-Fox Lucy, Recklitis Christopher J, Perez Giselle K
Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
J Cancer Surviv. 2024 Dec 5. doi: 10.1007/s11764-024-01719-8.
Adolescent and young adult cancer survivors (AYAs) have been considered a hard-to-reach population with low enrollment rates in cancer clinical trials. Race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and inaccessibility have been identified as barriers impacting research participation. Social media has the potential to overcome these barriers and increase AYA enrollment. This secondary analysis of a randomized controlled behavioral trial aims to (1) examine differences in participant characteristics and engagement as stratified by recruitment method and (2) offer considerations for using social media to recruit AYAs.
Social media and traditional recruitment methods were employed to recruit 72 post-treatment AYAs (ages 16-29) for a virtual synchronous group-based resiliency intervention (Bounce Back). Screening surveys assessed sociodemographic, medical, and psychosocial characteristics. Feasibility was assessed via attendance and follow-up survey completion. Post-intervention program acceptability and treatment satisfaction ratings were collected.
A total of 61% of AYAs were recruited via social media; with 40% from Reddit, 18% from Facebook, and 3% from Twitter. Participants recruited via social media had greater sociodemographic and geographic diversity, completed cancer treatment more recently, and reported increased anxiety and prospective worry compared to participants recruited via traditional channels. No significant between-group differences in retention, engagement, acceptability, or treatment satisfaction ratings were detected. Challenges encountered included bots, malingerers, and scheduling considerations.
Recruiting via social media platforms, especially Reddit, enhanced participant diversity and intervention accessibility. Researchers should identify recruitment methods that promote inclusivity while preserving safety and research integrity.
Social media recruitment was a successful and comparable recruitment strategy for engaging early post-treatment AYAs in a behavioral intervention trial.
青少年及青年癌症幸存者（AYAs）被认为是难以接触到的人群，在癌症临床试验中的入组率较低。种族、民族、社会经济地位和难以接触等因素已被确定为影响研究参与的障碍。社交媒体有潜力克服这些障碍并提高AYAs的入组率。这项对随机对照行为试验的二次分析旨在：（1）按招募方法分层检查参与者特征和参与度的差异；（2）为使用社交媒体招募AYAs提供考虑因素。
采用社交媒体和传统招募方法，为一项基于虚拟同步小组的复原力干预（“振作起来”）招募72名治疗后的AYAs（年龄16 - 29岁）。筛查调查评估社会人口统计学、医学和心理社会特征。通过出勤情况和随访调查完成情况评估可行性。收集干预后项目可接受性和治疗满意度评分。
共有61%的AYAs通过社交媒体招募；其中40%来自Reddit，18%来自Facebook，3%来自Twitter。与通过传统渠道招募的参与者相比，通过社交媒体招募的参与者在社会人口统计学和地理方面具有更大的多样性，最近完成癌症治疗，且报告焦虑和预期担忧增加。在留存率、参与度、可接受性或治疗满意度评分方面未检测到显著的组间差异。遇到的挑战包括机器人账号、装病者和日程安排方面的考虑。
通过社交媒体平台，尤其是Reddit进行招募，提高了参与者的多样性和干预的可及性。研究人员应确定既能促进包容性又能保持安全性和研究完整性的招募方法。
在行为干预试验中，社交媒体招募是吸引治疗后早期AYAs参与的一种成功且相当的招募策略。
