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A Web 2.0 and Epidemiology Mash-Up: Using Respondent-Driven Sampling in Combination with Social Network Site Recruitment to Reach Young Transwomen

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Abstract

Respondent-driven sampling (RDS) peer referral has been proven to be an effective recruitment method for hard-to-reach populations; however, its application in diverse populations is limited. Recruitment occurred in two phases: RDS-only followed by development and implementation of an online social network strategy in combination with RDS peer referral (RDS + SNS). Compared to RDS-only, RDS + SNS reached a sample that was younger (χ2 = 9.19, P = .03), more likely to identify with a non-binary gender identity (χ2 = 10.4247, P = .03), with less housing instability (50.5 vs. 68.6 %, χ2 = 9.0038, P = .002) and less sex work (19.7 vs. 31.4 %, χ2 = 5.0798, P = .02). Additionally, we describe lessons learned as a result of implementing our online social network strategy. Our findings underscore the importance of integrating Internet-driven strategies to meet challenges in sample diversity and recruitment of young transwomen.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all participants in the SHINE study. This study was funded by Award Number R01MH095598 from the National Institutes of Mental Health. The lead author was supported by Award Number T32AA007240, Graduate Research Training on Alcohol Problems, from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official view of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the National Institute of Mental Health or the National Institutes of Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Public Health Research, San Francisco Department of Public Health, 25 Van Ness Ave, Floor 5, San Francisco, CA, 94102, USA

    Sean Arayasirikul, Yea-Hung Chen, Harry Jin & Erin Wilson

  2. Medical Sociology, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Sean Arayasirikul & Harry Jin

  3. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Harry Jin & Erin Wilson

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  1. Sean Arayasirikul
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Correspondence to Sean Arayasirikul.

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Arayasirikul, S., Chen, YH., Jin, H. et al. A Web 2.0 and Epidemiology Mash-Up: Using Respondent-Driven Sampling in Combination with Social Network Site Recruitment to Reach Young Transwomen. AIDS Behav 20, 1265–1274 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-015-1234-4

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