A Web-Based, Respondent-Driven Sampling Survey Among Men Who Have Sex With Men (Kai Noi): Description of Methods and Characteristics

Samart Karuchit; Panupit Thiengtham; Suvimon Tanpradech; Watcharapol Srinor; Thitipong Yingyong; Thananda Naiwatanakul; Sanny Northbrook; Wolfgang Hladik

doi:10.2196/50812

A Web-Based, Respondent-Driven Sampling Survey Among Men Who Have Sex With Men (Kai Noi): Description of Methods and Characteristics

JMIR Form Res. 2024 May 20:8:e50812. doi: 10.2196/50812.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Informatics Section, Business Services Office, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Nonthaburi, Thailand.
² Division of Epidemiology, Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi, Thailand.
³ Division of Global HIV & TB, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Nonthaburi, Thailand.
⁴ Division of Global HIV & TB, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States.

^# Contributed equally.

PMID: 38767946
PMCID: PMC11148518
DOI: 10.2196/50812

Abstract

Background: Thailand's HIV epidemic is heavily concentrated among men who have sex with men (MSM), and surveillance efforts are mostly based on case surveillance and local biobehavioral surveys.

Objective: We piloted Kai Noi, a web-based respondent-driven sampling (RDS) survey among MSM.

Methods: We developed an application coded in PHP that facilitated all procedures and events typically used in an RDS office for use on the web, including e-coupon validation, eligibility screening, consent, interview, peer recruitment, e-coupon issuance, and compensation. All procedures were automated and e-coupon ID numbers were randomly generated. Participants' phone numbers were the principal means to detect and prevent duplicate enrollment. Sampling took place across Thailand; residents of Bangkok were also invited to attend 1 of 10 clinics for an HIV-related blood draw with additional compensation.

Results: Sampling took place from February to June 2022; seeds (21 at the start, 14 added later) were identified through banner ads, micromessaging, and in online chat rooms. Sampling reached all 6 regions and almost all provinces. Fraudulent (duplicate) enrollment using "borrowed" phone numbers was identified and led to the detection and invalidation of 318 survey records. A further 106 participants did not pass an attention filter question (asking recruits to select a specific categorical response) and were excluded from data analysis, leading to a final data set of 1643 valid participants. Only one record showed signs of straightlining (identical adjacent responses). None of the Bangkok respondents presented for a blood draw.

Conclusions: We successfully developed an application to implement web-based RDS among MSM across Thailand. Measures to minimize, detect, and eliminate fraudulent survey enrollment are imperative in web-based surveys offering compensation. Efforts to improve biomarker uptake are needed to fully tap the potential of web-based sampling and data collection.

Keywords: Asia; Asian; HIV; MSM; PHP; RDS; STD; STI; Thailand; architecture; automated; automation; biobehavioral; coding; design; gay; homosexual; homosexuality; information system; information systems; men who have sex with men; online respondent-driven sampling; online sampling; respondent driven sampling; sexual minorities; sexual minority; sexual transmission; sexually transmitted; sexually transmitted disease; sexually transmitted infection; surveillance; survey; surveys; virtual architecture; web app; web application; web based; web-based respondent-driven sampling; webRDS.

©Samart Karuchit, Panupit Thiengtham, Suvimon Tanpradech, Watcharapol Srinor, Thitipong Yingyong, Thananda Naiwatanakul, Sanny Northbrook, Wolfgang Hladik. Originally published in JMIR Formative Research (https://formative.jmir.org), 20.05.2024.