%0 Journal Article
%T A Web-Based, Respondent-Driven Sampling Survey Among Men Who Have Sex With Men (Kai Noi): Description of Methods and Characteristics.
%A Karuchit S
%A Thiengtham P
%A Tanpradech S
%A Srinor W
%A Yingyong T
%A Naiwatanakul T
%A Northbrook S
%A Hladik W
%J JMIR Form Res
%V 8
%N 0
%D 2024 May 20
%M 38767946
暂无%R 10.2196/50812
%X <B>BACKGROUND: </B>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.<BR><B>OBJECTIVE: </B>We piloted Kai Noi, a web-based respondent-driven sampling (RDS) survey among MSM.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>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.<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>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.<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>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.