Accurate HIV incidence and prevalence data and associated behavioural data from most-at-risk populations are essential for designing targeted prevention programmes and reducing the further spread of the epidemic. However, in most countries, HIV surveillance systems, the primary source of epidemiologic data, do not generate representative samples of most-at-risk populations. Respondent-driven sampling (RDS) is being widely used as an effective sampling method to sample most-at-risk populations for HIV bio-behavioural surveys.
Since the first RDS study was conducted in 1994 in the United States, this methodology has been used in more than 60 studies in more than 10 European countries to sample injecting drug users, sex workers and men who have sex with men. However, many of these countries have been unable to analyze their data due to their inability to use the specialized RDS analysis tool (RDSAT) and difficulties in understanding the complexities of social network theory and statistical adjustments inherent in using this programme.
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The course provides participants with knowledge and understanding of RDS data analysis, and theoretical concepts it is based upon. The course addresses all steps in RDS data management and analysis, including bivariate and multivariate analysis. The training course will address the significant improvements in RDSAT (from winter 2008), which includes the ability to export individualized weights to conduct regression analyses. Importantly, the course addresses interpretation of RDS data, particularly the external validity.
Each participant will work on a computer with the following software:
- RDSAT 6.0.1
- Excel
- PowerPoint
- NETDRAW (freeware for recruitment chains)
- STATA or SPSS (for logistic regression)
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- Latest information about implementing RDS
- RDS software that is currently available, its capacity and limitations
- Theoretical parameters of RDS and the meaning of technical concepts such as homophily, social network sizes, differential recruitment and equilibrium
- Preparation of data files that can be used in RDS software and analysis of data using RDSAT
- Recruitment chains using NetDraw
- Export of individualized weights to conduct regression analyses
- Regression analyses using either SPSS or STATA
- Data interpretation and analysis propecia online
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Web site of , includes downloads of RDSAT and the references, Cornell University
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The course consists of lectures and individual work on computers so that participants can get hands-on experience in RDS data management and analysis.propecia online
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This training invites principal investigators, statisticians, data managers and other researchers who have experience using RDS. Ideally, country representatives would bring their own data which they could format, recode and analyse during the course of the training. Those without actual data will be provided with datasets. Participants should be familiar in basic statistics and Excel software.
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The course takes place in four days.
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- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Institute for Global Health, University of California, San Francisco, USA
- Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Zagreb
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Download the .