Use of Facebook to recruit cohort study participants

Abstract

Abstract Background Social media is a relatively new means to recruit research participants. Methods The Australian Breakthrough Cancer (ABC) Study is a prospective cohort study that recruited people aged 40-74 years over 2014-2018. A range of recruitment methods, including ‘traditional’ (e.g. print media, electoral roll, word of mouth) and newer methods (i.e. social media, particularly Facebook) were used. Here we describe and compare these methods of recruitment. Results 52,614 (66%) of ABC Study registra..