A Web-Based, Respondent-Driven Sampling Survey Among Men Who Have Sex With Men (Kai Noi): Description of Methods and Characteristics.
JMIR Form Res
; 8: e50812, 2024 May 20.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38767946
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Thailand's HIV epidemic is heavily concentrated among men who have sex with men (MSM), and surveillance efforts are mostly based on case surveillance and local biobehavioral surveys.OBJECTIVE:
We piloted Kai Noi, a web-based respondent-driven sampling (RDS) survey among MSM.METHODS:
We developed an application coded in PHP that facilitated all procedures and events typically used in an RDS office for use on the web, including e-coupon validation, eligibility screening, consent, interview, peer recruitment, e-coupon issuance, and compensation. All procedures were automated and e-coupon ID numbers were randomly generated. Participants' phone numbers were the principal means to detect and prevent duplicate enrollment. Sampling took place across Thailand; residents of Bangkok were also invited to attend 1 of 10 clinics for an HIV-related blood draw with additional compensation.RESULTS:
Sampling took place from February to June 2022; seeds (21 at the start, 14 added later) were identified through banner ads, micromessaging, and in online chat rooms. Sampling reached all 6 regions and almost all provinces. Fraudulent (duplicate) enrollment using "borrowed" phone numbers was identified and led to the detection and invalidation of 318 survey records. A further 106 participants did not pass an attention filter question (asking recruits to select a specific categorical response) and were excluded from data analysis, leading to a final data set of 1643 valid participants. Only one record showed signs of straightlining (identical adjacent responses). None of the Bangkok respondents presented for a blood draw.CONCLUSIONS:
We successfully developed an application to implement web-based RDS among MSM across Thailand. Measures to minimize, detect, and eliminate fraudulent survey enrollment are imperative in web-based surveys offering compensation. Efforts to improve biomarker uptake are needed to fully tap the potential of web-based sampling and data collection.
Asia; Asian; HIV; MSM; PHP; RDS; STD; STI; Thailand; architecture; automated; automation; biobehavioral; coding; design; gay; homosexual; homosexuality; information system; information systems; men who have sex with men; online respondent-driven sampling; online sampling; respondent driven sampling; sexual minorities; sexual minority; sexual transmission; sexually transmitted; sexually transmitted disease; sexually transmitted infection; surveillance; survey; surveys; virtual architecture; web app; web application; web based; web-based respondent-driven sampling; webRDS
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Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2024
Tipo de documento:
Article