JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

In today's connected world, marked by the widespread use of social media and the internet, obesity and depression rates are increasing concurrently on a global scale. This study investigated the complex dynamics involving social media recruitment for scientific research, race, ethnicity, and depression among metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) candidates.

Objective:

The research aimed to determine (1) the association between social media recruitment and depression among MBS candidates and (2) racial and ethnic differences in social media recruitment engagement.

Methods:

The analysis included data from 380 adult MBS candidates enrolled in a prospective cohort study from July 2019 to December 2022. Race/ethnicity, recruitment method (social media Y/N), and depression status were evaluated using chi-square tests and logistic regression models. Age, sex, and ethnicity were adjusted in multivariable logistic regression models.

Results:

Our sample mean (standard deviation) age was 47.35 (11.6) years old, with a range from 18 to 78 years old. Participants recruited through social media were more likely to report past or current episodes of depression (38.32% social media vs. 27.11% non-social media, P=0.032), with a 67% increased likelihood (OR=1.67, 95% CI 1.04–2.68, P=0.033) compared to non-social media recruits. Further analysis showed that participants with a history of depression who were below the mean sample age were 2.31 times more likely to be recruited via social media (aOR=2.31, 95% CI 1.10–4.84, P=0.027) compared to those aged above the sample mean. Hispanic and non-Hispanic White participants were significantly more likely to be recruited via social media than non-Hispanic Black participants (38.81% vs. 35.10% vs. 18.37%, respectively, P<0.001). After adjusting for age and sex, non-Hispanic Black participants were 57% less likely than non-Hispanic white participants to be recruited via social media (aOR=0.43, 95% CI 0.24–0.76, P=0.003).

Conclusions:

We found that individuals recruited through social media channels were more likely to report past or current episodes of depression compared to those recruited through non-social media means, especially in younger participants. Results also showed that non-Hispanic blacks are less likely to engage in social media recruitment for scientific research versus other race/ethnic groups. Future mental health-related studies should consider strategies to mitigate potential biases introduced by recruitment methods, ensuring the validity and generalizability of research findings.