NCT07826962

Brief Summary

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.

Trial Health

63
Monitor

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
300

participants targeted

Target at P75+ for not_applicable

Timeline
30mo left

Started Dec 2026

Typical duration for not_applicable

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
not yet recruiting

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

September 10, 2026

Completed
8 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

September 18, 2026

Completed
2 months until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

December 1, 2026

Expected
1.7 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

July 30, 2028

10 months until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

May 30, 2029

Last Updated

September 18, 2026

Status Verified

September 1, 2026

Enrollment Period

1.7 years

First QC Date

September 10, 2026

Last Update Submit

September 10, 2026

Conditions

Patient Engagement

Keywords

WhatsAppWI-CAREAfrican immigrantsImmigrantsPatient engagementResearch engagementDigital research engagementCommunity-engaged researchPatient-centered outcomes researchResearch participation

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

  • Quality of Research Engagement

    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

    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

Secondary Outcomes (7)

  • WI-CARE Acceptability

    6 months

  • WI-CARE Usability

    6 months

  • Scenario Participation Rate

    6 months

  • Scenario Task Completion Rate

    At the completion of each scenario, up to approximately 6 months after enrollment

  • Participant Retention Rate

    At the end of the WI-CARE pilot, approximately 6 months after enrollment

  • +2 more secondary outcomes

Study Arms (1)

WI-CARE Protocol

EXPERIMENTAL

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.

Behavioral: WI-CARE Protocol

Interventions

WI-CARE ProtocolBEHAVIORAL

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.

WI-CARE Protocol

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years+
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersYes
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • 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
  • +5 more criteria

You may not qualify if:

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

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

Multicultural AIDS Coalition

Boston, Massachusetts, 02130, United States

Location

Related Publications (2)

  • Aidoo-Frimpong G, Turner D, Collins RL, Ajiboye W, Agbemenu K, Nelson LE. WhatsApp-propriate? Exploring "WhatsApp" as a Tool for Research Among Ghanaian Immigrants in the United States. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2024 Aug;11(4):1956-1963. doi: 10.1007/s40615-023-01664-9. Epub 2023 Jun 7.

    PMID: 37285049BACKGROUND

  • Akyirem S, Ekpor E, Aidoo-Frimpong GA, Salifu Y, Nelson LE. Online interviews for qualitative health research in Africa: a scoping review. Int Health. 2024 Jan 2;16(1):4-13. doi: 10.1093/inthealth/ihad010.

    PMID: 36786169BACKGROUND

Related Links

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Patient Participation

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Patient Acceptance of Health CareTreatment Adherence and ComplianceHealth BehaviorBehavior

Study Officials

  • Gloria AIDOO-FRIMPONG, PhD, MPH, MA

    University at Buffalo

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Chioma Nnaji, MPH, MEd

CONTACT

875-325-1489cnnaji@mac-boston.org

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
NA
Masking
NONE
Purpose
OTHER
Intervention Model
SINGLE GROUP
Model Details: This is a single-group pilot study of the WI-CARE protocol. All enrolled participants will join one centralized WI-CARE WhatsApp Community and receive the same onboarding, communication, privacy, and engagement procedures. Participants will be invited to opt into six structured scenarios representing activities conducted across the research lifecycle. Participation in individual scenarios will depend on participants' interests and availability. The scenarios are components of the WI-CARE protocol and are not separate study arms. There is no comparator group or random assignment.
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
PI Title
Assistant Professor

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

September 10, 2026

First Posted

September 18, 2026

Study Start (Estimated)

December 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

July 30, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

May 30, 2029

Last Updated

September 18, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-09

Data Sharing

IPD Sharing
Will not share

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.

Locations

US(1)