Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Jan 25, 2025
Date Accepted: May 29, 2025
Recruiting Asian Americans for Online Studies: A Methodological Systematic Review
ABSTRACT
Background:
Engaging Asian American participants in research studies helps better understand their health needs and health discrepancies. However, it’s difficult to recruit Asian Americans to online studies.
Objective:
This study aims to synthesize strategies for recruiting Asian Americans to research studies which collected data online and further explore the characteristics of recruited Asian Americans.
Methods:
A systematic review method was used. Data were searched in the PubMed, CINAHL, and OVID databases using MESH term and title search strategies. Narrative syntheses and independent student-T test were performed, using the SPSS 29.0 software. The study was reported based on the PRISRMA 2020 checklist.
Results:
After data extraction, 18 studies were included in this study. Results showed that recruiting Asian Americans to research studies which collected data online included online recruitment methods (online survey market service, social media groups, online advertisement, and e-mail lists), and offline recruitment methods (churches, community, local clinics, healthcare centers, American Cancer Society local chapters, and Cancer Registry). Among the online and offline recruitment methods, social media groups and community recruitment were most frequently used, respectively. The most used online study platform was self-designed project websites. The participants engaged in the online studies tend to be in their middle adulthood and have a high-level education higher than high school. Compared to the participants recruited offline, the participants recruited online tend to be younger and more educated.
Conclusions:
This study suggests researchers may use mixed methods to recruit Asian Americans to online studies, combining both online and offline recruitment; using a self-designed study platform but also consider the budget of projects, and data security, quality, and authority; and be aware of the distinct characteristics of participants recruited online versus offline.
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Copyright
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