Overlooked Threats to Respondent Driven Sampling Estimators: Peer Recruitment Reality, Degree Measures, and Random Selection Assumption

Intensive sociometric network data were collected from a typical respondent driven sample (RDS) of 528 people who inject drugs residing in Hartford, Connecticut in 2012–2013. This rich dataset enabled us to analyze a large number of unobserved network nodes and ties for the purpose of assessing comm...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:AIDS and behavior 2018-07, Vol.22 (7), p.2340-2359
Main Authors: Li, Jianghong, Valente, Thomas W., Shin, Hee-Sung, Weeks, Margaret, Zelenev, Alexei, Moothi, Gayatri, Mosher, Heather, Heimer, Robert, Robles, Eduardo, Palmer, Greg, Obidoa, Chinekwu
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
AIDS
Connecticut
Discount coupons
Estimators
Female
Health Psychology
Health risks
HIV
HIV Infections
Human immunodeficiency virus
Humans
Infectious Diseases
Male
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Middle Aged
Original Paper
Patient Selection
Peer Group
Peers
Probability
Public Health
Recruitment
Sampling
Sampling Studies
Social Networking
Sociometry
Substance Abuse, Intravenous
Surveys and Questionnaires
Young Adult
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Summary:Intensive sociometric network data were collected from a typical respondent driven sample (RDS) of 528 people who inject drugs residing in Hartford, Connecticut in 2012–2013. This rich dataset enabled us to analyze a large number of unobserved network nodes and ties for the purpose of assessing common assumptions underlying RDS estimators. Results show that several assumptions central to RDS estimators, such as random selection, enrollment probability proportional to degree, and recruitment occurring over recruiter’s network ties, were violated. These problems stem from an overly simplistic conceptualization of peer recruitment processes and dynamics. We found nearly half of participants were recruited via coupon redistribution on the street. Non-uniform patterns occurred in multiple recruitment stages related to both recruiter behavior (choosing and reaching alters, passing coupons, etc.) and recruit behavior (accepting/rejecting coupons, failing to enter study, passing coupons to others). Some factors associated with these patterns were also associated with HIV risk.
ISSN:1090-7165
1573-3254
DOI:10.1007/s10461-017-1827-1