Spreading Teen-Recorded Inspirational Videos to Engage Schoolmates
Condition: Communication
Study type: Observational

Summary: 
      While few students may consider a career in research at baseline, receiving information from
      peers via online social networks represents a potential way of reaching underserved minority
      students.

      This study addresses a critical problem in the process to diversify the pipeline of clinical
      researchers - how to cultivate baseline interest in research among high achieving youth
      before they participate in pipeline programs. We will seek to challenge existing paradigms of
      studying effectiveness of interventions to promote entry of minority youth into clinical
      research careers through testing a novel social media campaign that aims to increase interest
      in research careers among schoolmates of students in a pipeline program. We are testing the
      use of of peer-created and inspired videos about career choice as a novel way to develop
      messages that have potential to influence teens.

      Should this research program be successful, it will yield valuable insights for researchers
      and educators who are attempting to train minority students about the importance of involving
      youth in creating materials to recruit and retain minorities into pipeline programs and
      educational programs targeted towards clinical research.
    

Detailed description: 
      Despite several decades of effort that have produced meaningful insights into factors
      affecting the entry of minority students into careers in health research, there is still a
      great need to further promote entry of minority students into health research. Research we
      have done building on broader research on how minority youth select careers has shown that
      when minority students are interested in career in health research, a dedicated program with
      realistic career experiences and multi-tiered mentors can increase knowledge, attitudes and
      behaviors needed for a career in health research. However, we found that such programs are
      much less effective if students do not enter them with a pre-existing interest in careers in
      health research. Unfortunately, very little is known about how to increase the interest in
      careers in health research. Research is badly needed on interventions that can "prime the
      pump" for pipeline programs by increasing the number of minority students with interest in
      careers in health research.

      Studies from adolescent health education suggest that messages that have the potential to
      change people's attitudes and behaviors often originate from a trusted peer. A peer messenger
      is often more easily able to relate to an individual and understand the unique pressures that
      an individual may face in changing their behavior. This is especially true in teens, who are
      more likely to value the opinion of and seek to emulate their peers compared to adults. While
      peer pressure is often cast as a negative phenomenon among teens, the use of positive modes
      of peer pressure to change behavior among teens is gaining in popularity. For example,
      positive peer pressure has been used in many youth-to-youth messaging campaigns related to
      difficult to change behaviors such as alcohol and drug abuse or safe sex.

      Peer online social networks may be a potential way to increase interest in careers in health
      research among underrepresented minority students. The explosion of social media and
      smartphones has facilitated the creation of social networks online, a well-documented way for
      teenagers to interact with each other and to obtain information. According to the Pew
      Internet Project, nearly three quarters of online teens and an equal number of young adults
      use social network sites. Moreover, roughly 85% of teens who use social networks are active
      participants in the site, and engage in activities such as posting comments on a friend's
      profile page, or underneath a friend's picture. Nearly 40% of teens report sharing content
      online that they created personally. The use of self-created videos has exploded with the
      creation of popular media-sharing websites, such as YouTube and roughly one third of teens
      report sharing videos.

      Interestingly, there is reason to believe that online social networking interventions that
      aim to boost career interests would be more effective for underrepresented racial and ethnic
      groups as well as teens from low income families than for whites. First, data suggests that
      online social network use is higher among teens from low-income families (those earning less
      than $30,000 annually) than in teens from wealthier households (80% vs. 70%). Moreover,
      minority families are more likely to access the internet remotely through mobile devices such
      as cell phones than whites. Together, this data highlights the enormous potential for online
      social media interventions to influence career interest and engagement in minority youth.

      One promising solution to increase interest in clinical research careers among high achieving
      youth at a time when career decision making is easily influenced is through the spreading
      video messages crafted by youth for youth through social media. Therefore, the specific aims
      of this proposal are the following:

      Specific Aim 1: To engage high achieving minority youth enrolled in an intensive pipeline
      clinical research program in performing focus groups and surveys of their peers to
      characterize what types of messages would be most likely to motivate their peers to consider
      a career in clinical research

      Specific Aim 2: To engage high-achieving minority youth participating in a pipeline clinical
      research program in a social media campaign in which they will create a short video to
      promote interest in clinical research careers and spread it to their schoolmates

      Specific Aim 3: To evaluate the reach of social media campaign led by students in a pipeline
      clinical research program to spread a video they create to improve interest in clinical
      research careers

      Specific Aim 4: To evaluate the effects of a student-led social media campaign on interest in
      a clinical research career among the schoolmates of students in a pipeline clinical research
      program
    

Observational model: Cohort
Time perspective: Prospective
Sampling method: Non-Probability Sample
Study population: 
        All subjects enrolled will be under 18 years of age. Subjects 18 and over will not be
        enrolled. The subjects for this study include two populations of students age 15-17: (1)
        Collegiate Scholars members to participate in focus groups and (2) feedback group recruited
        by students involved in TEACH research to view the social media campaign.
      
Keywords: Focus groups; Underrepresented Minorities; Social Media; Clinical Research Careers