Can WhatsApp bridge the gap between african immigrants and health research?
NCT ID NCT07826962
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
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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
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About 300 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Dec 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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May 2029
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide 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.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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
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Multicultural AIDS Coalition
Boston, Massachusetts, 02130, United States
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