Participant Engagement and Ethical Digital Storytelling: The MOCHA Moving Forward Study

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Disparities Research
• Community-Based Participatory Research

Background:

• African-American men experience significant health disparities and chronic disease burdens.
• Social risk factors contribute to poor health outcomes in this demographic.
• Innovative community-driven programs are needed to improve health and quality of life.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the Men of Color Health Awareness (MOCHA) Moving Forward program.
• To reduce social risk factors for chronic diseases among low-income African-American men (ages 35-70).
• To improve the overall health and quality of life for participants.

Main Methods:

• Utilized digital storytelling (DST) workshops to engage participants.
• Recruited 36 African-American men for four DST workshops.
• Each participant created a 2-3 minute digital story focusing on health, stress, and stereotypes.

Main Results:

• The study identified and analyzed three significant ethical dilemmas encountered during the DST workshops.
• Dilemmas stemmed from the dual use of DST for data collection and intervention development.
• Tensions between protecting participants and avoiding patronization were highlighted.

Conclusions:

• The ethical challenges in using DST with vulnerable populations require careful consideration.
• Balancing research objectives with participant welfare is crucial in community-based studies.
• Strategies for resolving or mitigating these ethical dilemmas are discussed.