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Effect of Computer-Assisted Interviewing on Self-Reported Sexual Behavior Data in a Microbicide Clinical Trial

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Abstract

In a microbicide safety and effectiveness trial (HPTN 035) in Malawi, 585 women completed the same questionnaire through a face-to-face interview (FTFI) and an audio computer-assisted self-interview (ACASI). Concordance between FTFI and ACASI responses ranged from 72.0 % for frequency of sex in the past week to 95.2 % for anal intercourse (AI) in the past 3 months. Reported gel and condom use at last sex act were marginally lower with ACASI than FTFI (73.5 % vs. 77.2 %, p = 0.11 and 60.9 % vs. 65.5 %, p = 0.05, respectively). More women reported AI with ACASI than FTFI (5.0 % vs. 0.2 %, p < 0.001). Analyses of consistency of responses within ACASI revealed that 15.0 % of participants in the condom-only arm and 28.7 % in the gel arm provided at least one discrepant answer regarding total sex acts and sex acts where condom and gel were used (19.2 % reported one inconsistent answer, 8.1 % reported two inconsistent answers, and 1.4 % reported three inconsistent answers). While ACASI may provide more accurate assessments of sensitive behaviors in HIV prevention trials, it also results in a high level of internally inconsistent responses.

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Acknowledgments

HPTN 035 was funded by the United States National Institutes of Health. The study was designed and implemented by the HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) and the Microbicide Trials Network (MTN). The HPTN (U01AI046749) has been funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), and National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The MTN (U01AI068633) has been funded by the NIAID, NICHD, and NIMH. ReProtect, Inc., and Endo Pharmaceuticals (formerly Indevus Pharmaceuticals Inc.) supplied the BufferGel and PRO 2000 Gel tested in this study free of charge. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) supported the manufacturing of BufferGel for this study. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funding institutions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Box 95-1772, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1772, USA

    Pamina M. Gorbach & Astou Coly

  2. Population Council, New York, NY, USA

    Barbara S. Mensch & Stan Mierzwa

  3. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA

    Marla Husnik & Benoit Mâsse

  4. College of Medicine-Johns Hopkins University Research Project, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi

    Bonus Makanani, Chiwawa Nkhoma & Stacey Hurst

  5. UNC Project, Tidziwe Centre, Kamuzu Central Hospital, Lilongwe, Malawi

    Lameck Chinula, Tchangani Tembo & Kimberly Reynolds

  6. Family Health International, Medford, MA, USA

    Anne Coletti

  7. National Institute of Mental Health, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Andrew Forsyth

  8. CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada

    Benoit Mâsse

Authors
  1. Pamina M. Gorbach
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  2. Barbara S. Mensch
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  3. Marla Husnik
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  4. Astou Coly
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  5. Benoit Mâsse
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  7. Chiwawa Nkhoma
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  8. Lameck Chinula
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  9. Tchangani Tembo
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  11. Kimberly Reynolds
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  12. Stacey Hurst
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  13. Anne Coletti
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  14. Andrew Forsyth
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Correspondence to Pamina M. Gorbach.

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Gorbach, P.M., Mensch, B.S., Husnik, M. et al. Effect of Computer-Assisted Interviewing on Self-Reported Sexual Behavior Data in a Microbicide Clinical Trial. AIDS Behav 17, 790–800 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-012-0302-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-012-0302-2

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