Work

Assessing the Assumptions of Respondent-Driven Sampling in the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance System among Injecting Drug Users

Year: 2012

Type: article

Abstract: Several assumptions determine whether respondent-driven sampling (RDS) is an appropriate sampling method to use with a particular group, including the population being recruited must know one another as members of the group (i.e., injection drug users [IDUs] must know each other as IDUs) and be networked and that the sample size is small relative to the overall size of the group. To assess these three assumptions, we analyzed city-specific data collected using RDS through the US National HIV Behavioral Surveillance System among IDUs in 23 cities. Overall, 5% of non-seed participants reported that their recruiter was "a stranger." 20 cities with multiple field sites had ≥1 cross-recruitment, a proxy for linked networks. Sample sizes were small in relation to the IDU population size (median = 2.3%; range: 0.6%- 8.0%). Researchers must evaluate whether these three assumptions were met to justify the basis for using RDS to sample specific populations.

Source: The Open AIDS Journal

DOI: 10.2174/1874613601206010077

Authors: Amy Lansky, Amy Drake, Cyprian Wejnert, Huong Pham, Melissa Cribbin, Douglas D Heckathorn

Institutions: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Northrop Grumman (United States), Cornell University

Language: English

Topic: HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk

Subfield: Epidemiology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Funder: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention