Publication year: 2011
Source: Social Science & Medicine, In Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available online 23 July 2011
Abby E., Rudolph , Natalie D., Crawford , Carl, Latkin , Kellee, White , Ebele O., Benjamin , …
Recruiting a representative sample using respondent-driven sampling (RDS) relies on successful peer recruitment. While prior studies have identified individual-level characteristics associated with peer recruitment, study- and neighborhood-level factors may also influence peer recruitment. This analysis aimed to identify individual-, study-, and neighborhood-level factors associated with RDS peer recruitment. 390 young adult (18-40 years) heroin, crack and/or cocaine users in New York City (NYC) were recruited via RDS into a cohort study aiming to identify social risk factors for transitioning from non-injection to injection drug use (2006-2009). Individual-level baseline characteristics (demographics, drug use, and network characteristics) and study factors (number of…
Highlights: ► Innovative use of group-facilitated training sessions on peer recruitment for respondent-driven sampling (RDS) participants. ► Evaluates the effectiveness of group-facilitated training sessions on peer recruitment success. ► Expands the current literature with respect to identifying correlates of RDS recruitment efficiency to include community norms. ► Identifies potential barriers to peer recruitment success and ways to optimize respondent driven sampling.