Original CommunicationRespondent-Driven Sampling in a Multi-Site Study of Black and Latino Men Who Have Sex with Men
Introduction
Although they represent only 2% of the United States population, men who have sex with men (MSM) account for an estimated 61% of all new HIV infections in U.S. 1, 2 In 2010, among HIV-positive MSM, new diagnoses among Blacks (37%) and Latinos (23%) were disproportionately higher than among Whites (37%) in comparison to the racial/ ethnic distribution of the U.S. population (13%, 15%, and 66%, respectively).2 Given the burden of HIV in minority MSM populations, it is imperative to conduct research to identify factors that place Black and Latino MSM at risk for infection and to facilitate the design and implementation of targeted behavioral and biomedical interventions.
Black and Latino MSM are often difficult to recruit into research studies. It is particularly challenging to recruit representative samples of MSM because there are no sampling frames from which to generate a probability sample.3 Silvestre et al. explored recruitment barriers for Black and Latino men in urban settings and noted that recruiting MSM of color required attention to cultural norms of the “target” group, use of members of the “targeted” community, and the use of promotional materials that were accepted by community members.4 Fernandez et al. describe the use of Internet methods to recruit Latino MSM in Miami.5 They found that men recruited through Internet chat rooms did present at physical study sites, although formative work in the community and inclusion of members of the targeted community were necessary to ensure their successful recruitment.
Venue-based (time-space) sampling has been the most broadly used method to recruit MSM populations for HIV behavioral research.3, 6 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) first implemented venue-based sampling in 1994 with the multi-site Young Men’s Survey;7 this method continues to be used to recruit MSM ages 18 years and older for CDC’s National HIV Behavioral Surveillance system.8 Despite its widespread use, some experts believe that venue-based sampling may miss non-gay-identified or minority MSM who do not frequent predominantly gay-identified venues.3
In this report we describe the use of Respondent-Driven Sampling (RDS),12 a form of chain-referral sampling, for recruiting four samples of Black and Latino MSM in three U.S. metropolitan areas. RDS has increased in popularity as a means to reach persons from hard-to-reach populations for which construction of a sampling frame is not feasible, such as injection drug users,9 ecstasy users,10 and Latino MSM.11 We were particularly interested in 1) describing the RDS recruitment statistics across our study sites; 2) comparing the demographic and behavioral risk characteristics across each site; 3) assessing the extent to which the RDS statistical adjustment produces estimates that differ from the crude results, especially with respect to estimating HIV prevalence and behavioral risk; and 4) describing benefits and problems associated with using RDS as a sampling strategy, as well as suggesting recommendations for future studies that recruit Black and Latino MSM.
Section snippets
Methods
Data were collected as part of the CDC’s Brothers y Hermanos (ByH) study. The chief aims of the study included identifying the structural, psychological, socio-cultural and behavioral factors associated with elevated HIV transmission among Black and Latino MSM. From June 2005 through March 2006, Latino MSM were recruited in Los Angeles County and New York City, and Black MSM were recruited in New York City and Philadelphia. To be eligible, participants had to 1) be male (and identify as such),
Results
A total of 2,235 MSM were recruited and interviewed: 614 Black MSM and 516 Latino MSM in New York City (NYC), 540 Black MSM in Philadelphia, and 565 Latino MSM in Los Angeles County.
Discussion
Our experience using RDS to enroll and to estimate HIV prevalence, risk behaviors and psychosocial factors among Black and Latino MSM resulted in diverse recruitment patterns and potential uncertainties in the estimated HIV prevalence, risk behaviors, and demographic distributions by study site.
The RDS weighted adjustments are inversely related to social network size.15 For example, in our study the HIV-positive group had a much smaller adjusted network size than the HIV negative group in the
Acknowledgements
The authors thank the study participants, the collaborating community-based partners, and the Brothers y Hermanos research team. The authors also thank Dr. Lucia Torian for insightful comments on the manuscript.
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Cited by (9)
Brief report: Identified barriers and proposed solutions for recruiting young Black sexual minority men in HIV-related research
2021, Journal of AdolescenceCitation Excerpt :Studies focusing on adult Black sexual minority men have used adaptations of traditional methods focusing on Black community and online spaces (Peterson et al., 2009). Respondent-driven sampling has also proven to be an effective strategy to target marginalized populations, including Black sexual minority men (Coombs et al., 2014; Fuqua et al., 2012; Heckathorn, 1997; Murrill et al., 2016). In general, multi-method recruitment strategies have been most effective in reaching this population (Barresi et al., 2010; Malebranche et al., 2012).
A Network Approach to Determine Optimization of PrEP Uptake in Athens, Greece
2022, AIDS and BehaviorAn evaluation of assumptions underlying respondent-driven sampling and the social contexts of sexual and gender minority youth participating in HIV clinical trials in the United States
2021, Journal of the International AIDS Society
Financial disclosure and Disclaimer: This study was funded through a cooperative agreement from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The findings and conclusions in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.