title: Estimating self-reported sex practices, drug use, depression, and intimate partner violence among MSM in China: a comparison of three recruitment methods.
abstract: Men who have sex with men (MSM) are the group at highest risk for HIV in China. Researchers have used various recruitment methods to reach this population hidden from the hetero-normative culture. To inform future recruitment strategies, we compared estimates of socio-demographic characteristics, HIV risk behaviors, depression, and intimate partner violence (IPV) across three samples of MSM and money boys in Shanghai, China. Data were collected from three community-based samples of MSM and money boys (n = 1352) recruited via respondent-driven sampling (RDS) (n = 404), community popular opinion leaders (CPOL) (n = 385), and Internet and venue-based sampling (VBS) (n = 546). Different recruitment methods generated samples with statistically significant differences among a number of socio-demographic characteristics, sexual behaviors, drug use, depression scores, and exposure to IPV. Specifically, RDS participants had lower education (p = .002), income levels (p < .001), and were more likely to report condomless sex with a woman (p < .001). CPOL participants were younger (p < .001), more likely to report lifetime condomless anal sex (p = .009), more than 10 male partners in the past 30 days (p < .001), and were less likely to experience violence by a male intimate partner (p = .001). VBS participants had lowest depression score (p = .005) and were more likely to report lifetime drug use (p = .003). Our findings reinforce that each recruitment method may reach a sub-group of MSM with a specific risk profile, so multiple methods may be needed to obtain a representative sample of MSM. Interventions may use specific recruitment methods to target certain segments of the MSM population.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Behavioral Sciences & Health Education , Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University , Atlanta , GA , USA.
authors.forename: Umedjon
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ibragimov
authors.affiliation: a Department of Behavioral Sciences & Health Education , Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University , Atlanta , GA , USA.
authors.forename: Jessica A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Harnisch
authors.affiliation: a Department of Behavioral Sciences & Health Education , Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University , Atlanta , GA , USA.
authors.forename: Eric J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Nehl
authors.affiliation: a Department of Behavioral Sciences & Health Education , Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University , Atlanta , GA , USA.|b Department of Epidemiology , Fudan University School of Public Health , Shanghai , China.
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: c Shanghai Piaoxue Cultural Media, Ltd ., Shanghai , China.
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: b Department of Epidemiology , Fudan University School of Public Health , Shanghai , China.
authors.forename: Yingying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: a Department of Behavioral Sciences & Health Education , Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University , Atlanta , GA , USA.|d Hubert Department of Global Health , Emory University Rollins School of Public Health , Atlanta , GA , USA.|e Department of Epidemiology , Emory University Rollins School of Public Health , Atlanta , GA , USA.|f Department of Sociology , Emory College, Emory University , Atlanta , GA , USA.
authors.forename: Frank Y
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D000066511:Intimate Partner Violence; D008297:Male; D018579:Patient Selection; D012107:Research Design; D012309:Risk-Taking; D057566:Self Report; D060386:Sex Workers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: China; MSM; recruitment