South African national household survey of HIV/AIDS prevalence, behavioural risks and mass media impact--detailed methodology and response rate results.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the methodology used in a recent survey of HIV/AIDS in South Africa and to present the response rates.


METHODS
A cross-sectional, national household-based survey was conducted using second-generation surveillance procedures. A complex multistage sampling technique was used to create a master sample of 1,000 census enumerator areas out of a total of 86,000 nationally. Aerial photographs were taken and used to randomly select more than 10,197 households and ultimately 13,518 individuals from a sampling frame of 31,321 people. Phase 1 of the study involved notifying the household residents about the study and collecting key demographic information on respondents aged 2 years and older. This information was used to randomly select up to 3 respondents from each household: 1 adult (25 years and older), 1 youth (15-24 years), and 1 child (2-14 years). In phase 2 nurses interviewed respondents and collected oral fluid specimens for HIV testing. In the case of children aged 2-11 years, parents or guardians were interviewed, but HIV testing was performed on the selected children. Questionnaire data were anonymously linked with HIV test results.


RESULTS
A total of 9,963 persons agreed to be interviewed and 8,840 were tested for HIV, yielding a response rate of 73.7% and 65.4% respectively. However, only 8,428 (62.3%) HIV test results were correctly matched with behavioural data. The results showed that those tested for HIV did not differ from those not tested in terms of key determinants.


CONCLUSIONS
It is possible to use community-based surveys to study the prevalence of HIV in the general population.
Shisana
Olive
O
Human Sciences Research Council, Cape Town.
Stoker
David
D
Simbayi
Leickness Chisamu
LC
Orkin
Mark
M
Bezuidenhout
Francois
F
Jooste
Sean Edwin
SE
Colvin
Mark
M
van Zyl
Johan
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008402:Mass Media; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D015995:Prevalence; D018401:Sample Size; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires