Document Type
Article
Publication Date
7-17-2014
Publication Title
JMIR Research Protocols
Publisher
JMIR Publications
Volume
3
Issue
3
First page number:
1
Last page number:
12
Abstract
Background: Recruiting valid samples of men who have sex with men (MSM) is a key component of the US human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) surveillance and of research studies seeking to improve HIV prevention for MSM. Social media, such as Facebook, may present an opportunity to reach broad samples of MSM, but the extent to which those samples are comparable with men recruited from venue-based, time-space sampling (VBTS) is unknown. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the comparability of MSM recruited via VBTS and Facebook. Methods: HIV-negative and HIV-positive black and white MSM were recruited from June 2010 to December 2012 using VBTS and Facebook in Atlanta, GA. We compared the self-reported venue attendance, demographic characteristics, sexual and risk behaviors, history of HIV-testing, and HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevalence between Facebook- and VTBS-recruited MSM overall and by race. Multivariate logistic and negative binomial models estimated age/race adjusted ratios. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to assess 24-month retention. Results: We recruited 803 MSM, of whom 110 (34/110, 30.9% black MSM, 76/110, 69.1% white MSM) were recruited via Facebook and 693 (420/693, 60.6% black MSM, 273/693, 39.4% white MSM) were recruited through VTBS. Facebook recruits had high rates of venue attendance in the previous month (26/34, 77% among black and 71/76, 93% among white MSM; between-race P=.01). MSM recruited on Facebook were generally older, with significant age differences among black MSM (P=.02), but not white MSM (P=.14). … See full text for complete abstract.
Keywords
Men who have sex with men; MSM; Facebook; Venue-based time sampling; Online MSM; Social media recruitment of MSM
Disciplines
Public Health
File Format
File Size
789 KB
Language
English
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Repository Citation
Hernandez-Romieu, A. C.,
Sullivan, P. S.,
Sanchez, T. H.,
Kelley, C. F.,
Peterson, J. L.,
del Rio, C.,
Salazar, L. F.,
Frew, P. M.,
Rosenberg, E. S.
(2014).
The Comparability of Men Who Have Sex With Men Recruited From Venue-Time-Space Sampling and Facebook: A Cohort Study.
JMIR Research Protocols, 3(3),
1-12.
JMIR Publications.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2196/resprot.3342