Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37296373›Full record

ArticleBMC medical research methodology2023

Examining differential success in recruitment using respondent driven sampling (RDS) in a multi-site study of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men.

Jordan M Sang, Bita Gholamian, Lu Wang, Justin Barath, Syed W Noor, Nathan J Lachowsky, Trevor A Hart, Joseph Cox, Gilles Lambert, Daniel Grace and 7 more

Abstract readMulticenter Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC medical research methodology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
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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

17 authors.

Jordan M SangBritish Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, BC, Canada. jordan.sang@bccsu.ubc.ca.
Bita GholamianSimon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.
Lu WangBritish Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Justin BarathBritish Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Syed W NoorRyerson University, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Nathan J LachowskyBritish Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Trevor A HartRyerson University, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Joseph CoxResearch Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montréal, QC, Canada.
Gilles LambertDirection régionale de santé publique -Montréal, CIUSSS Centre-Sud-de-l'Ile-de-Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.
Daniel GraceUniversity of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Shayna Skakoon-SparlingRyerson University, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Allan LalBritish Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Abbie ParletteRyerson University, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Herak ApelianResearch Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montréal, QC, Canada.
Jody JollimoreCommunity Based Research Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Robert S HoggSimon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.
David M MooreBritish Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Funding

CIHR FDN 143342CIHR PJT-153139CIHR TE2-138299
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe Engage Study is a longitudinal biobehavioral cohort study of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBM) in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. Baseline data (2,449 participants) were collected from February 2017 - August 2019 using respondent-driven sampling (RDS). Recruitment in Montreal required fewer seeds, had a much shorter recruitment period, and recruited the largest sample.

methodsTo better understand why RDS recruitment was more successful in Montreal compared to other sites, we conducted an analysis to examine RDS recruitment characteristics for GBM in each of the three study sites, explore demographic characteristics and measures of homophily, that is, the tendency of individuals to recruit other study participants who are like themselves, and compared motivations for study participation.

resultsMontreal had the greatest proportion of participants over the age of 45 (29.1% in Montreal, 24.6% in Vancouver, and 21.0% in Toronto) and the highest homophily for this age group, but homophily was high across the three cities. Montreal also reported the lowest percentage of participants with an annual income greater or equal to $60,000 (7.9% in Montreal, 13.1% in Vancouver and 10.6% in Toronto), but homophily was similar across all three cities. The majority of participants indicated interest in sexual health and HIV as the main reason for participating (36.1% in Montreal, 34.7% in Vancouver, and 29.8% in Toronto). Financial interest as the main reason for participation was low (12.7% in Montreal, 10.6% in Vancouver, and 5.7% in Toronto).

conclusionTaken together, although we found some differences in study demographic characteristics and homophily scores, we were unable to fully explain the different recruitment success based on the data available. Our study underlines the fact that success of RDS implementation may vary by unknown factors, and that researchers should be proactive and flexible to account for variability.

Indexed as

HIV InfectionsSexual and Gender MinoritiesCohort StudiesHomosexuality, MaleHumansMaleSampling StudiesSurveys and QuestionnairesGBMMethodologyMulti-site studiesRespondent-driven sampling

Identifiers

PMID37296373
PMCPMC10251682

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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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.