Facebook as a follow-up tool for women with criminal justice histories

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to measure Facebook (FB) use as a tool for maintaining research contact with hard-to-reach women with criminal justice histories.

Design/methodology/approach: Retrospective data were analyzed from a jail health intervention. Bivariate analysis compared the rates of follow-up between FB group users and non-FB group users at one post-intervention time point. Multivariate models explored predictors for FB group follow-up.

Findings: Among 184 participants, 89 (48.4%) used the private research FB group. This group was more likely to complete the follow-up survey one year after enrollment compared to non-FB group users (P = 0.002). Regression analyses showed that, compared to non-FB group users, FB group users were more likely to be younger and have a history of sexually transmitted infections.

Practical implications: FB is popular among women with criminal justice histories. Use of this social media site with study participants from hard-to-reach populations may enhance study retention.

Originality/value: This paper fills a gap in examining the long-term use of FB as a research strategy to maintain contain with typically hard-to-reach populations.