Evaluation of Respondent-driven Sampling
Top Cited Papers
Open Access
- 1 January 2012
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) in Epidemiology
- Vol. 23 (1), 138-147
- https://doi.org/10.1097/ede.0b013e31823ac17c
Abstract
Background: Respondent-driven sampling is a novel variant of link-tracing sampling for estimating the characteristics of hard-to-reach groups, such as HIV prevalence in sex workers. Despite its use by leading health organizations, the performance of this method in realistic situations is still largely unknown. We evaluated respondent-driven sampling by comparing estimates from a respondent-driven sampling survey with total population data. Methods: Total population data on age, tribe, religion, socioeconomic status, sexual activity, and HIV status were available on a population of 2402 male household heads from an open cohort in rural Uganda. A respondent-driven sampling (RDS) survey was carried out in this population, using current methods of sampling (RDS sample) and statistical inference (RDS estimates). Analyses were carried out for the full RDS sample and then repeated for the first 250 recruits (small sample). Results: We recruited 927 household heads. Full and small RDS samples were largely representative of the total population, but both samples underrepresented men who were younger, of higher socioeconomic status, and with unknown sexual activity and HIV status. Respondent-driven sampling statistical inference methods failed to reduce these biases. Only 31%–37% (depending on method and sample size) of RDS estimates were closer to the true population proportions than the RDS sample proportions. Only 50%–74% of respondent-driven sampling bootstrap 95% confidence intervals included the population proportion. Conclusions: Respondent-driven sampling produced a generally representative sample of this well-connected nonhidden population. However, current respondent-driven sampling inference methods failed to reduce bias when it occurred. Whether the data required to remove bias and measure precision can be collected in a respondent-driven sampling survey is unresolved. Respondent-driven sampling should be regarded as a (potentially superior) form of convenience sampling method, and caution is required when interpreting findings based on the sampling method.This publication has 25 references indexed in Scilit:
- Evaluation of the role of location and distance in recruitment in respondent-driven samplingInternational Journal of Health Geographics, 2011
- 7. Respondent-Driven Sampling: An Assessment of Current MethodologySociological Methodology, 2010
- Assessing respondent-driven samplingProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2010
- Evaluating Respondent-Driven Sampling in a Major Metropolitan Area: Comparing Injection Drug Users in the 2005 Seattle Area National HIV Behavioral Surveillance System Survey with Participants in the RAVEN and Kiwi StudiesAnnals of Epidemiology, 2010
- 3. An Empirical Test of Respondent-Driven Sampling: Point Estimates, Variance, Degree Measures, and Out-of-Equilibrium DataSociological Methodology, 2009
- Methods to Recruit Hard-to-Reach Groups: Comparing Two Chain Referral Sampling Methods of Recruiting Injecting Drug Users Across Nine Studies in Russia and EstoniaJournal of Urban Health, 2006
- Respondent-Driven Sampling of Injection Drug Users in Two U.S.–Mexico Border Cities: Recruitment Dynamics and Impact on Estimates of HIV and Syphilis PrevalenceJournal of Urban Health, 2006
- Variance Estimation, Design Effects, and Sample Size Calculations for Respondent-Driven SamplingJournal of Urban Health, 2006
- Recruiting Injection Drug Users: A Three-Site Comparison of Results and Experiences with Respondent-Driven and Targeted Sampling ProceduresJournal of Urban Health, 2006
- Effectiveness of Respondent-Driven Sampling for Recruiting Drug Users in New York City: Findings from a Pilot StudyJournal of Urban Health, 2006