ArticleMedical journal of the Islamic Republic of Iran2025
Mapping and Estimating the Size of Key Affected Populations in Iran: Methodological Issues.
Article in Medical journal of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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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.
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.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- HIV testing trend and associated factors among people who inject drugs in Iran (2010-2020).Harm reduction journal · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Reliable estimates of key affected populations (KAPs), including people who inject drugs (PWID) and people who use drugs (PWUD), are essential for effective human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) and harm reduction programming. This study compares how 3 methodological adjustments collectively modify PWID/PWUD size estimates across 4 Iranian cities. Methods: Using data from mapping exercises in 4 Iranian cities (Ahvaz, Sari, Yazd, and Tehran), we applied 3 methodological adjustments: (1) frequency adjustment (correcting for infrequent hotspot attendance); (2) duplication adjustment (accounting for multihotspot visitors); and (3) hidden population adjustment (incorporating KAPs avoiding mappable sites). Input parameters were derived from field surveys and national studies, including the Iranian Mental Health Survey. Results: Frequency adjustment increased initial PWID estimates (eg, Ahvaz: from 843 to 2104), while duplication adjustment reduced them by 29% to 37%. Hidden population adjustment (assuming 76% of PWID avoid hotspots) yielded final estimates of 1966 (Ahvaz), 854 (Sari), 663 (Yazd), and 28 (Tehran). PWUD estimates followed similar trends, although hidden population adjustments were limited by data gaps. Conclusion: Standard hotspot mapping significantly underestimates KAP sizes if methodological biases are unaddressed. Our 3-step adjustment framework enhances accuracy but highlights limitations, including reliance on mobility assumptions and accuracy of the available national survey data. These findings advocate for integrating correction factors into KAP surveillance systems to optimize resource allocation for harm reduction.
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