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Brief Report: Respondent-driven Sampling Estimators Under Real and Theoretical Recruitment Conditions of Female Sex Workers in China.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Verdery, AM; Merli, MG; Moody, J; Smith, JA; Fisher, JC
Published in: Epidemiology
September 2015

We compare the performance of multiple respondent-driven sampling estimators under different sample recruitment conditions in hidden populations of female sex workers in the midst of China's ongoing epidemic of sexually transmitted infections. We first examine empirically calibrated simulations grounded in survey data to evaluate the relative performance of each estimator under ideal sampling conditions consistent with respondent-driven sampling assumptions and under conditions that mimic observed respondent-driven sampling recruitment processes. One estimator, which incorporates respondents' reports on their network of contacts, substantially out-performs the others under all conditions. We then apply the estimators to empirical samples of female sex workers collected in two Chinese cities that include unique data on respondents' networks. These empirical results are consistent with the simulation results, suggesting that traditional respondent-driven sampling estimators overestimate the proportion of female sex workers working in low tiers of sex work and are likely to overstate the sexually transmitted infection risk profiles of these populations.

Duke Scholars

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Published In

Epidemiology

DOI

EISSN

1531-5487

Publication Date

September 2015

Volume

26

Issue

5

Start / End Page

661 / 665

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Sexually Transmitted Diseases
  • Sex Workers
  • Sampling Studies
  • Patient Selection
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Epidemiology
  • China
  • Bias
  • 4905 Statistics
 

Citation

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Verdery, A. M., Merli, M. G., Moody, J., Smith, J. A., & Fisher, J. C. (2015). Brief Report: Respondent-driven Sampling Estimators Under Real and Theoretical Recruitment Conditions of Female Sex Workers in China. Epidemiology, 26(5), 661–665. https://doi.org/10.1097/EDE.0000000000000335
Verdery, Ashton M., M Giovanna Merli, James Moody, Jeffrey A. Smith, and Jacob C. Fisher. “Brief Report: Respondent-driven Sampling Estimators Under Real and Theoretical Recruitment Conditions of Female Sex Workers in China.Epidemiology 26, no. 5 (September 2015): 661–65. https://doi.org/10.1097/EDE.0000000000000335.
Verdery AM, Merli MG, Moody J, Smith JA, Fisher JC. Brief Report: Respondent-driven Sampling Estimators Under Real and Theoretical Recruitment Conditions of Female Sex Workers in China. Epidemiology. 2015 Sep;26(5):661–5.
Verdery, Ashton M., et al. “Brief Report: Respondent-driven Sampling Estimators Under Real and Theoretical Recruitment Conditions of Female Sex Workers in China.Epidemiology, vol. 26, no. 5, Sept. 2015, pp. 661–65. Pubmed, doi:10.1097/EDE.0000000000000335.
Verdery AM, Merli MG, Moody J, Smith JA, Fisher JC. Brief Report: Respondent-driven Sampling Estimators Under Real and Theoretical Recruitment Conditions of Female Sex Workers in China. Epidemiology. 2015 Sep;26(5):661–665.

Published In

Epidemiology

DOI

EISSN

1531-5487

Publication Date

September 2015

Volume

26

Issue

5

Start / End Page

661 / 665

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Sexually Transmitted Diseases
  • Sex Workers
  • Sampling Studies
  • Patient Selection
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Epidemiology
  • China
  • Bias
  • 4905 Statistics