@Article{info:doi/10.2196/20970,
author="Anderson, Elizabeth
and Koss, Mary
and Castro Luque, Ana Luc{\'i}a
and Garcia, David
and Lopez, Elise
and Ernst, Kacey",
title="WhatsApp-Based Focus Groups Among Mexican-Origin Women in Zika Risk Area: Feasibility, Acceptability, and Data Quality",
journal="JMIR Form Res",
year="2021",
month="Oct",
day="28",
volume="5",
number="10",
pages="e20970",
keywords="WhatsApp; synchronous text-based focus groups; Zika; Mexican-origin Latinas; social media; mHealth; focus groups; smartphones; mobile phone",
abstract="Background: Despite unprecedented advances in worldwide access to the internet via smartphones, barriers to engaging hard-to-reach populations remain in many methods of health research. A potential avenue for conducting qualitative research is via participatory web-based media, including the free, popular social platform WhatsApp. However, despite the clear advantages of engaging with participants over a well-established web-based platform, logistical challenges remain. Objective: This study aims to report evidence on the feasibility and acceptability of WhatsApp as a method to conduct focus groups. Methods: A pilot focus group was conducted with Spanish-speaking women near the US--Mexico border. The content focus was knowledge and perceived risks for exposure to the Zika virus during pregnancy. Results: Evidence was obtained regarding WhatsApp as a low-cost, logistically feasible methodology that resulted in rich qualitative data from a population that is often reticent to engage in traditional research. A total of 5 participants participated in a focus group, of whom all 5 consistently contributed to the focus group chat in WhatsApp, which was conducted over 3 consecutive days. Conclusions: The findings are noteworthy at a time when face-to-face focus groups, the gold standard, are risky or precluded by safe COVID-19 guidelines. Other implications include more applications and evaluations of WhatsApp for delivering one-on-one or group health education interventions on sensitive topics. This paper outlines the key steps and considerations for the replication or adaptation of methods. ",
issn="2561-326X",
doi="10.2196/20970",
url="https://formative.jmir.org/2021/10/e20970",
url="https://doi.org/10.2196/20970",
url="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34709185"
}