TY  - JOUR
AU  - Karuchit, Samart
AU  - Thiengtham, Panupit
AU  - Tanpradech, Suvimon
AU  - Srinor, Watcharapol
AU  - Yingyong, Thitipong
AU  - Naiwatanakul, Thananda
AU  - Northbrook, Sanny
AU  - Hladik, Wolfgang
PY  - 2024
DA  - 2024/5/20
TI  - A Web-Based, Respondent-Driven Sampling Survey Among Men Who Have Sex With Men (Kai Noi): Description of Methods and Characteristics
JO  - JMIR Form Res
SP  - e50812
VL  - 8
KW  - online respondent-driven sampling
KW  - web-based respondent-driven sampling
KW  - virtual architecture
KW  - men who have sex with men
KW  - Thailand
KW  - MSM
KW  - Asia
KW  - Asian
KW  - gay
KW  - homosexual
KW  - homosexuality
KW  - sexual minority
KW  - sexual minorities
KW  - biobehavioral
KW  - surveillance
KW  - respondent driven sampling
KW  - survey
KW  - surveys
KW  - web app
KW  - web application
KW  - coding
KW  - PHP
KW  - web based
KW  - automation
KW  - automated
KW  - design
KW  - architecture
KW  - information system
KW  - information systems
KW  - online sampling
KW  - HIV
KW  - sexually transmitted infection
KW  - STI
KW  - sexually transmitted disease
KW  - STD
KW  - sexual transmission
KW  - sexually transmitted
KW  - RDS
KW  - webRDS
AB  - 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. 
SN  - 2561-326X
UR  - https://formative.jmir.org/2024/1/e50812
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2196/50812
UR  - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/38767946
DO  - 10.2196/50812
ID  - info:doi/10.2196/50812
ER  -