Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37201669›Full record

Trial reportAnnals of epidemiology2023

High prevalence of self-reported sexually transmitted infections among older adults in Tanzania: results from a list experiment in a population-representative survey.

Hae-Young Kim, Julia Rohr, Germana Henry Leyna, Japhet Killewo, Andrew Tomita, Frank Tanser, Till Bärnighausen

Open access · greenAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Annals of epidemiology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
3.1field-weighted citation impact, top 9% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 4 institutions in 4 countries.

Hae-Young KimDepartment of Population Health, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York; Africa Health Research Institute, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Electronic address: hae-young.kim@nyulangone.org.
Julia RohrCenter for Population and Development Studies, Harvard University TH Chan School of Public Health, Cambridge, MA.
Germana Henry LeynaDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Japhet KillewoDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Andrew TomitaKwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa; Centre for Rural Health, School of Nursing and Public Health, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.
Frank TanserCentre for Epidemic Response and Innovation, School of Data Science and Computational Thinking, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa; School of Nursing and Public Health, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.
Till BärnighausenAfrica Health Research Institute, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa; Center for Population and Development Studies, Harvard University TH Chan School of Public Health, Cambridge, MA; Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
Africa Health Research Institute · ZAMuhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences · TZUniversity of KwaZulu-Natal · ZAHarvard University · US

Funding

The Center for the Global Demography of AgingP30AG024409 · NIA · HARVARD UNIVERSITY (SCH OF PUBLIC HLTH) · PI BLOOM, DAVID E · 2004 to 2019
$7.9M
NIA NIH HHS P30 AG024409
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeSelf-report of sensitive or stigmatized health states is often subject to social desirability and interviewer biases. To reduce such biases, we estimated the rate of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) using a list experiment.

methodsThis population-representative study was nested within the Dar es Salaam Urban Cohort Study, a Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) in the Ukonga ward of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Men and women aged ≥40years were randomly assigned to receive a list of either four control items (i.e., the control group) or four control items plus an additional item on having had a disease through sexual contacts in the past 12months (i.e., the treatment group). We calculated the mean difference in the total number of items to which respondents answered "yes" in the treatment versus control group and compared this prevalence estimate to the one measured by the direct question.

resultsA total of 2310 adults aged ≥40years were enrolled in the study: 32% were male and 48% were aged 40-49years. The estimated prevalence of having STIs in the past 12months was 17.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] 12.3-23.3) in the list experiment, almost 10 times higher than the estimated prevalence of 1.8% (95%CI 1.3-2.4) based on the direct question (P < .001). STI prevalence remained high after adjusting for age, the number of lifetime sex partners, alcohol consumption and smoking in multivariate linear regression (15.6%; 95% CI 7.3-23.9).

conclusionsWe found a substantially higher prevalence of STIs among older adults in urban Tanzania when we based our estimation on a list experiment rather than a direct question in a population-representative survey. List experiments should be considered to elimnate social desirability and interviewer biases in surveys of sensitive or stigmatized health states. The very high prevalence of STIs highlights the need for improved access to STI screening, prevention and treatment for older adults in urban Africa.

Indexed as

Sexually Transmitted DiseasesAgedCohort StudiesFemaleHumansMalePrevalenceSelf ReportSexual BehaviorTanzaniaList experimentOlder adultsPrevalenceSexually transmitted diseasesTanzania

Identifiers

PMID37201669
PMCPMC10524221
OpenAlexW4376878770

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.