WhatsApp focus groups also allow for different modes of communication (e.g., through incorporating pictures and links), are more cost-efficient and allow researchers to recruit a greater diversity of participants ( Wong & Jensen, 2020). For instance, studies have shown that participants in WhatsApp focus groups are more comfortable sharing sensitive information and disagreeing with one another, creating space for more inclusive discussions ( Colom, 2021). Compared to traditional forms of in-person focus group discussions, WhatsApp focus groups present several advantages logistically and methodologically. With the changing nature of research brought about by the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, WhatsApp focus groups have grown increasingly popular as a form of text-based data collection tool with numerous studies adopting this tool for public health research ( Anderson et al., 2021 Colom, 2021 Gibson, 2020 Singer et al., 2020).
In recent years, digital technologies focusing on text-based data collection-be it through Zoom, Skype, Facebook or Reddit-have been increasingly used in qualitative research ( Thunberg & Arnell, 2021 Vindrola-Padros et al., 2020) due to the ability of these platforms to enhance long-distance participation, extract socio-cultural nuances through varied modes of expressions like GIFs and emojis ( Wong & Jensen, 2020), and capitalize on the increasingly omnipresent nature of digital means of communication. To investigate concerns around propagation of misinformation, lay health beliefs, and hysteria through social media in the context of a pandemic, we conducted a study to explore the knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors around COVID-19 among Singapore residents using social media specifically, focus group discussions conducted via the mobile messaging platform WhatsApp. Unlike during SARS in 2003, the advent and pervasiveness of social media and new modalities of communication and information exchange like WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have created new dynamics in how the public interact with health and outbreak-related information. Since the declaration of COVID-19 as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 30 January 2020, we have seen a global escalation of public concern, panic, and misinformation around the pandemic.
Although challenges around privacy and confidentiality remain, this means of collecting data is novel in terms of providing timely and relevant data during a pandemic and would be appropriate to be further utilized in the context of other health-related research beyond a public health emergency. We found that the use of WhatsApp as a means of conducting FGDs not only served as a means of generating essential, time-sensitive data in the community, but also advanced the quality and quantity of data generated, democratized, and enhanced the participatory nature of FGDs, and facilitated the communication of potential issues around data privacy between facilitators and participants. Through utilizing WhatsApp as a means of conducting digital focus group discussions (FGDs), participants were involved in five consecutive days of discussions through both synchronous and asynchronous means. This qualitative study aimed to explore Singapore residents’ knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors around COVID-19 as shaped by different information sources.
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