Reddit for research recruitment? Social media as a novel clinical trial recruitment tool for adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors.

Purpose: Adolescent and young adult cancer survivors (AYAs) have been considered a hard-to-reach population with low enrollment rates in cancer clinical trials. Race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and inaccessibility have been identified as barriers impacting research participation. Social media has the potential to overcome these barriers and increase AYA enrollment. This secondary analysis of a randomized controlled behavioral trial aims to (1) examine differences in participant characteristics and engagement as stratified by recruitment method and (2) offer considerations for using social media to recruit AYAs.

Methods: Social media and traditional recruitment methods were employed to recruit 72 post-treatment AYAs (ages 16-29) for a virtual synchronous group-based resiliency intervention (Bounce Back). Screening surveys assessed sociodemographic, medical, and psychosocial characteristics. Feasibility was assessed via attendance and follow-up survey completion. Post-intervention program acceptability and treatment satisfaction ratings were collected.

Results: A total of 61% of AYAs were recruited via social media; with 40% from Reddit, 18% from Facebook, and 3% from Twitter. Participants recruited via social media had greater sociodemographic and geographic diversity, completed cancer treatment more recently, and reported increased anxiety and prospective worry compared to participants recruited via traditional channels. No significant between-group differences in retention, engagement, acceptability, or treatment satisfaction ratings were detected. Challenges encountered included bots, malingerers, and scheduling considerations.

Conclusions: Recruiting via social media platforms, especially Reddit, enhanced participant diversity and intervention accessibility. Researchers should identify recruitment methods that promote inclusivity while preserving safety and research integrity.

Implications For Cancer Survivors: Social media recruitment was a successful and comparable recruitment strategy for engaging early post-treatment AYAs in a behavioral intervention trial.