Virtual focus groups on Zoom: “lessons learned” from two physical activity studies among Black and African American women and children

Abstract

ABSTRACT Black and/or African American (Black/AA) individuals have been historically excluded from research, but the recent uptick in Zoom as a platform for virtual focus groups may lead to increased inclusion of Black/AA participants. Researcher reflections from two physical activity-related studies with Black/AA samples, YogaMoves and Mini-Me, that utilized Zoom to conduct virtual focus groups are presented. ‘Lessons learned’ fall under three themes: participant privacy and session security, technological challenges and time burdens, and participant engagement. The present lessons support past research in the need for participant privacy and security, but add novel insights around engaging and supporting Black/AA participants in virtual focus groups. The authors stress not only the importance of participant engagement and community-building, but the lesson of flexibility and understanding of social context, even when the focus group topic may be seemingly unrelated. These lessons can be used by researchers conducting virtual focus groups, particularly when working with Black/AA populations.