Engaging with Social Media: Implications for COVID-19 Research Participation Among Adults Living in the State of Florida

The COVID-19 pandemic led to an increased use of social media, with many people turning to it for social support. Given the varying effects of social media, this study examines how social media use influences the willingness of adults in the State of Florida to participate in COVID-19-related research. The study used data collected through the Florida Statewide Registry for Aging Studies (FSRAS), which included 587 participants who were 25 years and older. The primary outcome variables were COVID-19 treatment and COVID-19 vaccine research. Ordinal logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between social media use and willingness to participate in COVID-19 treatment and vaccination research, adjusting for sociodemographic variables. The analysis did not find a statistically significant relationship between social media use and the likelihood of participating in COVID-19 research. However, significant differences were observed across racial/ethnic groups. Participants who identified as “Hispanic/Latino” (OR-2.44, 95% CI-1.11-5.35, p = 0.03) and “Other” (OR-12.51, 95% CI-1.98-79.22, p = 0.01) were significantly associated with willingness to participate in a COVID-19 treatment research. Similarly, participants of all other races/ethnicities were significantly more willing to participate in research testing COVID-19 vaccines. Additionally, females were more likely to express willingness to participate in COVID-19 vaccine research. Social media use did not significantly affect willingness to participate in COVID-19 treatment and vaccine research; however, racial and ethnic differences significantly influenced willingness to participate. These findings suggest that implementing targeted culturally sensitive recruitment strategies and community engagement efforts can improve participation in COVID-19 research.