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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Douglas B. Kershaw¹, Douglas Shehan¹, Anne C. Freeman, MSPH¹, Richard Yeager, PhD², Sharon Melville, MD, MPH², and Robert Graff, PhD¹. (1) Community Prevention and Intervention Unit, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 400 South Zang Blvd., Suite 520, Dallas, TX 75208, 214 645 7329, doug.kershaw@utsouthwestern.edu, (2) HIV/STD Epidemiology and Surveillance Branch, Texas Department of State Health Services, 1100 W. 49th St., Austin, TX 78756

Description/Issues: Respondent Driven Sampling (RDS) is an innovative, proven method for accessing hidden or hard to reach populations such as injecting drug users (IDU). Adapted from the chain-referral sampling method, RDS utilizes an incentive system that reduces many of the biases inherent in other peer-based recruitment strategies. Dallas is one of 25 cities participating in National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS). NHBS used RDS to recruit IDU for a behavioral survey that examines HIV-associated risk behaviors and utilization of local HIV prevention services. NHBS was the first use of RDS for a large-scale surveillance activity. This presentation includes reports on challenges and successes experienced while implementing RDS at five field sites, potentially representing five different social networks, within the sprawling and demographically diverse Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. Following a slow start, over half of the required 500 IDU were recruited in the last 2 months of the 6 month data collection period.

Lessons Learned: To achieve these results, specific modifications were made to RDS-related operations including: 1) improvements in selecting and training peer recruiters, 2) moving site locations and altering interview day/time periods, and 3) making participation easier and improving recruitment reward distribution. In addition, demographic representation was improved by allowing more recruitment opportunities for IDU with specific demographic characteristics.

Recommendations: RDS provided flexibility to make adjustments required to exceed the minimum sample. Adjustments must be made early in a sampling period to achieve the most representative sample in a large and diverse geographical area.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the fundamental elements of the Respondent Driven Sampling (RDS) method
• Recognize challenges associated with implementing RDS in a large and diverse geographical area
• Identify specific ways to improve the enrollment of IDU when using RDS

Keywords: Methodology, Injection Drug Users

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation