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Can WhatsApp bridge the gap between african immigrants and health research?

NCT ID NCT07826962

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: State University of New York at Buffalo Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 18, 2026 · Last updated Sep 18, 2026

Summary

African immigrants are underrepresented in U.S. health research. Researchers at the State University of New York at Buffalo are developing and testing WI-CARE, a protocol that uses WhatsApp to engage African immigrants in research planning, recruitment, data collection, interpretation, and dissemination. The study includes surveys, focus groups, and structured scenarios with about 300 adult African immigrants living in six states. Participants give feedback on the protocol's acceptability, usability, cultural relevance, privacy, and trustworthiness.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
WI-CARE, a WhatsApp-based protocol for engaging African immigrants in research
What this could lead to
If WI-CARE works, researchers could use WhatsApp to involve African immigrant communities more fully in health studies, from planning through sharing results.
What could go wrong
This is an early study testing a new protocol, not a treatment. The approach may not work well across different communities, and participants may still face privacy or trust concerns.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 300 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Expected to start

Dec 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

May 2029

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: Aim 1 survey and focus group participants: * Aged 18 years or older * Born in a sub-Saharan African country * Currently residing in the United States * Able to read and speak English, French, or Kiswahili * Able and willing to provide informed consent Aim 2 expert panel participants: * Aged 18 years or older * Currently residing in the United States * Able to read and speak English, French, or Kiswahili * Able and willing to provide informed consent * Has relevant knowledge, professional experience, or lived experience related to African immigrant health or digital research engagement Aim 3 pilot participants: * Aged 18 years or older * Born in a sub-Saharan African country * Currently residing in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, or Rhode Island * Able to read and speak English, French, or Kiswahili * Has access to an internet-connected device that can use WhatsApp * Able and willing to join the WI-CARE WhatsApp Community and participate in study activities conducted through WhatsApp * Able and willing to provide informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Younger than 18 years of age * Unable or unwilling to provide informed consent * Does not meet the eligibility requirements for the applicable study component

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Patient Participation

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Patient engagement

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Multicultural AIDS Coalition

    Boston, Massachusetts, 02130, United States

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