Evaluating the experiences of Vietnamese university students enrolled in a longitudinal research cohort: a journey mapping approach.

Introduction: Engaging young people in health research offers mutual benefits for both participants and research teams. While a variety of approaches have been used globally to involve youth, few studies have evaluated their effectiveness and impact. Methods: From 2020 to 2023, we conducted the SEED project to explore attitudes toward clinical research involving human participants among 539 Vietnamese health professions students. The project concluded with an evaluation of the students' experiences as project participants, using a mixed-methods journey mapping approach. For this we conducted in-depth exit interviews with 18 purposively selected students and analyzed 231 study completion questionnaires, as well as 815 feedback forms collected during the life of the project. Results: Findings are presented in three areas: (1) Students' motivations to join and views about their experiences as participants; (2) Their evaluation of organizational factors; and (3) Their overall views about the project and scientific research generally. As well as having an interest in research (195/231, 84%), for many students the potential for personal benefit, such as gaining new knowledge (161/231, 70%), enhancing soft skills (161/231, 70%), and exposure to networking opportunities (126/231, 55%), were major motivating factors. However, factors such as receiving a project attendance certificate, the financial compensation offered, the reputation of the research institution, and encouragement by friends, were not considered important by many students (42-46%). Among students who attended at least one event, 217/220 (99%) reported high satisfaction with the project implementation, engagement approaches and activity topics, and generally preferred offline to online events. Suggested improvements included incorporating more interactive games, using smaller discussion groups, and strengthening communication via social media to support retention. 145/231 (63%) of the students mentioned at least one barrier to participation, with a busy schedule being the most common(127/145, 87%). For some of the interviewed participants, altruistic motivation- the sense of contributing to science and community-influenced their continuing participation. Conclusion: This comprehensive participant-centered evaluation of the experiences of Vietnamese healthcare students enrolled in a longitudinal cohort study emphasizes the value of engaging with students to co-develop scientific activities, thereby providing important benefits for the students, the academic institutions, and the broader research community.