Abstract
We examined differences in sample demographics across cycles of the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance project, that examines HIV risk behaviors among men who have sex with men (MSM), injection drug users (IDU), and heterosexuals living in areas of high HIV prevalence (HET). MSM were recruited through venue-based sampling, and IDU and HET through respondent driven sampling (RDS). RDS data were weighted to account for sampling bias. We compared crude prevalence estimates from MSM1 (2004) to those from MSM2 (2008) for demographic factors known to influence risky sexual and drug-use behaviors. We compared crude and adjusted prevalence estimates for IDU1 (2005) and IDU2 (2009) and HET1 (2006) and HET2 (2010). In the MSM cycle, we found differences in age, and the proportions seeking medical care and reporting a recent arrest. There were no differences in the comparison of crude and weighted estimates for the RDS collected samples, nor were there differences comparing HET1 and HET2 weighted estimates. IDU2 recruited a larger proportion of males, and had a higher percent who graduated from high school and who reported recent medical care and a previous HIV test. Differences across MSM cycles may be related to differences in venues identified for each cycle. Differences in the IDU cycles may be due to an effort on our part to increase the racial/ethnic and drug-use diversity of the sample in IDU2. Our findings show the importance of formative work for both venue-based and RDS samples to increase understanding of the dimensions that affect social networks and the dynamics of populations in space and time. With familiarity of the target population, we believe that both venue-based and RDS recruitment approaches for NHBS work well and can be used to evaluate changes in risky sexual and drug use behaviors and in HIV testing behaviors.
Resumen
Investigamos las diferencias en las características demográficas de las muestras a través de los ciclos del proyecto de Vigilancia Nacional del Comportamiento Relacionado con el VIH (National HIV Behavioral Surveillance, NHBS), examinando las conductas de riesgo del VIH entre hombres que tienen relaciones sexuales con hombres (HSH), los usuarios de drogas inyectables (UDI) y las personas heterosexuales que viven en áreas de alta prevalencia del VIH (HET). Los HSH fueron reclutados a través del muestreo en el lugar de reunión (venue-based sampling), y los UDI y HET a través del muestreo dirigido por los participantes (respondent driven sampling, RDS). Se analizaron los datos del RDS para tomar en cuenta el sesgo de la muestra. Comparamos los cálculos de la prevalencia en bruto del primer ciclo en HSH (2004) con aquellos del segundo ciclo (2008) en busca de factores demográficos que se sabe que influyen las conductas sexuales de riesgo y el uso de drogas. Comparamos los cálculos de la prevalencia en bruto y ajustada del primer (2005) y del segundo ciclo en UDI (2009), y del primer (2006) y del segundo ciclo en HET (2010). En los ciclos de HSH, encontramos diferencias de edad y en las proporciones de aquellos quienes buscaron atención médica y quienes reportaron un arresto reciente. No hubo diferencias en los cálculos brutos y ajustados en ninguno de los ciclos del RDS. Tampoco hubo diferencias al comparar los cálculos de la prevalencia ajustada a través de dos ciclos de HET. Sin embargo, el segundo ciclo en UDI reclutó a una mayor proporción de hombres y tuvo un mayor porcentaje de graduados de secundaria y de quienes reportaron atención médica reciente y una prueba del VIH previa. Las diferencias a través de los ciclos de HSH pueden relacionarse con las diferencias en los lugares identificados en cada ciclo. Las diferencias en los ciclos de UDI pueden deberse a un esfuerzo de nuestra parte para aumentar la diversidad racial/étnica y de los tipos usuarios de drogas en el segundo ciclo en UDI. Nuestros hallazgos demuestran la importancia de la investigación formativa tanto en las muestras en el lugar de reunión como de RDS para ganar un mejor entendimiento de los aspectos que afectan las redes sociales y las dinámicas de las poblaciones en el espacio y el tiempo. Con un buen conocimiento de la población objetivo, creemos que tanto las muestras en el lugar de reunión como el RDS son eficaces para el reclutamiento para las encuestas NHBS y se pueden utilizar para evaluar los cambios en las conductas sexuales de riesgo, el uso de drogas y los comportamientos con respecto al uso de las pruebas del VIH.
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Acknowledgments
The authors wish to acknowledge the staff of the HIV Behavioral Surveillance Program in the Houston Department of Health and Human Services. This work was supported by cooperative agreements from the Centers for Disease Control and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors.
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Risser, J.M.H., Montealegre, J.R. Comparison of Surveillance Sample Demographics Over Two Cycles of the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance Project, Houston, Texas. AIDS Behav 18 (Suppl 3), 382–390 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-013-0562-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-013-0562-5