TY  - JOUR
AU  - Anderson, Elizabeth
AU  - Koss, Mary
AU  - Castro Luque, Ana Lucía
AU  - Garcia, David
AU  - Lopez, Elise
AU  - Ernst, Kacey
PY  - 2021
DA  - 2021/10/28
TI  - WhatsApp-Based Focus Groups Among Mexican-Origin Women in Zika Risk Area: Feasibility, Acceptability, and Data Quality
JO  - JMIR Form Res
SP  - e20970
VL  - 5
IS  - 10
KW  - WhatsApp
KW  - synchronous text-based focus groups
KW  - Zika
KW  - Mexican-origin Latinas
KW  - social media
KW  - mHealth
KW  - focus groups
KW  - smartphones
KW  - mobile phone
AB  - 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. 
SN  - 2561-326X
UR  - https://formative.jmir.org/2021/10/e20970
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2196/20970
UR  - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34709185
DO  - 10.2196/20970
ID  - info:doi/10.2196/20970
ER  -