JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Novel methods to boost interest in scientific research careers among minority youth are largely unexplored. Social media offers a unique avenue toward influencing teen behavior and attitudes, therefore can be utilized to stimulate interest in clinical research.

Objective:

This study aimed to engage high achieving minority youth enrolled in a science pipeline program to develop a targeted social media marketing campaign to boost interest in clinical research careers among their peers.

Methods:

Students enrolled in the Training Early Achievers for Careers in Health (TEACH) program conducted focus groups of their communities to inform themes that best promote clinical research. They then scripted, storyboarded and filmed a short video to share on social media with a campaign hashtag. Additionally, each student enrolled peers from their social circle to be subjects of the study. Subjects were sent a Career Orientation Survey at baseline to assess preliminary interest in clinical research careers and again after the campaign to assess how they saw the video, their perceptions of the video and interest in clinical research careers post-video. Subjects who did not see the video through the online campaign were invited to watch via a link on the post-survey. Interest change scores were calculated using differences in Likert responses to “how interested are you in a career in clinical research?” An ordinal logistic regression model tested the association between watching a peer-shared video, perception of entertainment and interest change score controlling for underrepresented minorities in medicine (URM) status (Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander), gender and baseline interest in medical or clinical research careers.

Results:

From 2014-2017, 325 subjects were enrolled as part of 4 distinct campaigns: #WhereScienceMeetsReality, #RedefiningResearch, #DoYourResearch and #LifeWithoutResearch. Over half (n=180) of subjects watched the video via the campaign, 77% (n=227) found the video entertaining, and 28% (n=92) had baseline interest in clinical research. The ordinal logistic regression model found that subjects who viewed the video from a peer (OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.00-2.44, P = 0.049) or found the video entertaining (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.01-1.82, P = 0.041) had greater odds of increasing interest in a clinical research career. Subjects with higher baseline interest in medicine (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.28-1.87, P <0.001) also had greater odds of increasing interest in clinical research.

Conclusions:

Authentic and relevant peer-created messages spread via social media can increase interest in clinical research careers among diverse teens. Peer-driven social media campaigns should be explored as a way to effectively recruit minority youth into scientific research careers.