Considerations in Recruiting Caregivers of Older Adults to Qualitative Internet-Mediated Research Using Facebook and Meta Business Suite.
Background: Internet-mediated research (IMR), increasingly prominent in social sciences and health care, uses online platforms for data gathering, offering cost-effectiveness and wide accessibility. Despite assumptions that older adults are less active on social media, recent trends indicate otherwi...
| Published in: | Western Journal of Nursing Research Vol. 47; no. 9; pp. 879 - 887 |
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
| Format: | research tables/charts Journal Article |
| Published: |
Sage Publications Inc.
Sep2025
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| Online Access: | View this record in EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=187162510&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ccm uiTerm: 187162510 longDbName: CINAHL Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: dissinfo: jinfo: jid: 01939459 WJN jtl: Western Journal of Nursing Research issn: 01939459 maglogo: Y pubinfo: dt: Sep2025 vid: 47 iid: 9 pid: 344 pub: Sage Publications Inc. place: Thousand Oaks, California artinfo: ui: 187162510 186026899 187162510 187162510 10.1177/01939459251346583 187162510 ppf: 879 ppct: 8 formats: tig: atl: Considerations in Recruiting Caregivers of Older Adults to Qualitative Internet-Mediated Research Using Facebook and Meta Business Suite. aug: au: Hall, Steven Rohatinsky, Noelle Holtslander, Lorraine Peacock, Shelley affil: Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada sug: subj: Research Subject Recruitment Caregivers Gerontologic Care Social Media Research, Medical Human Adult Middle Age Aged Aged, 80 and Over Qualitative Studies Pilot Studies Advertising Data Collection Methods Motivation Computer Literacy Research Ethics Adult: 19-44 years Middle Aged: 45-64 years Aged: 65+ years Aged, 80 & over ab: Background: Internet-mediated research (IMR), increasingly prominent in social sciences and health care, uses online platforms for data gathering, offering cost-effectiveness and wide accessibility. Despite assumptions that older adults are less active on social media, recent trends indicate otherwise, with a notable presence on platforms like Facebook, making it a valuable recruitment tool. Methods: The Saskatchewan Caregiver Experience Study employed purposive maximum variation sampling to recruit caregivers via paid Facebook ads, manually shared Facebook posts, and community newsletters. Metrics such as reach, impressions, and link clicks from Facebook advertisements were used to evaluate recruitment effectiveness. Data quality was ensured through "one response per IP address" restrictions on SurveyMonkey. Results: We recruited 355 survey respondents who met the study inclusion criteria. Participants had a mean age of 60.9 years (range: 22-87). Paid Facebook ads were the most effective recruitment method, indicated by higher engagement and response rates. The 355 survey responses totaled 40 746 words, reflecting strong participant engagement. The absence of financial incentives in the study also likely improved data quality. Discussion: This method requires participants to have both device access and technological literacy. The study demonstrates the effectiveness of using social media for recruiting in qualitative research, highlighting its potential for inclusivity and representativeness, while also underscoring the importance of ethical considerations in IMR. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: research tables/charts Journal Article ougenre: Article language: English refInfo: holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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