Western Australian Centre for Health Promotion Research, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
BMJ Open. 2013 Feb 26;3(2). doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2013-002581. Print 2013.
HIV diagnoses acquired among Australian men working or travelling overseas including Southeast Asia are increasing. This change within transmission dynamics means traditional approaches to prevention need to be considered in new contexts. The significance and role of social networks in mediating sexual risk behaviours may be influential. Greater understanding of expatriate and traveller behaviour is required to understand how local relationships are formed, how individuals enter and are socialised into networks, and how these networks may affect sexual intentions and behaviours. This paper describes the development of a qualitative protocol to investigate how social networks of Australian expatriates and long-term travellers might support interventions to reduce transmission of HIV and sexually transmitted infections.
To explore the interactions of male expatriates and long-term travellers within and between their environments, symbolic interactionism will be the theoretical framework used. Grounded theory methods provide the ability to explain social processes through the development of explanatory theory. The primary data source will be interviews conducted in several rounds in both Australia and Southeast Asia. Purposive and theoretical sampling will be used to access participants whose data can provide depth and individual meaning.
The role of expatriate and long-term traveller networks and their potential to impact health are uncertain. This study seeks to gain a deeper understanding of the Australian expatriate culture, behavioural contexts and experiences within social networks in Southeast Asia. This research will provide tangible recommendations for policy and practice as the findings will be disseminated to health professionals and other stakeholders, academics and the community via local research and evaluation networks, conference presentations and online forums. The Curtin University Human Research Ethics Committee has granted approval for this research.
在澳大利亚，包括在东南亚工作或旅行的男性中，艾滋病毒的诊断病例不断增加。这种传播动态的变化意味着需要在新的环境中考虑传统的预防方法。社会网络在调节性行为风险方面的重要性和作用可能具有影响力。需要更多地了解侨民和旅行者的行为，以了解如何形成当地关系，个人如何进入和融入网络，以及这些网络如何影响性意图和行为。本文描述了制定定性研究方案的过程，以调查澳大利亚侨民和长期旅行者的社会网络如何支持减少艾滋病毒和性传播感染传播的干预措施。
为了探索男性侨民和长期旅行者在其环境内外的相互作用，符号互动论将作为理论框架。扎根理论方法提供了通过发展解释性理论来解释社会过程的能力。主要数据来源将是在澳大利亚和东南亚进行的几轮访谈。采用目的性和理论性抽样，以接触能够提供深度和个人意义的数据的参与者。
侨民和长期旅行者网络的作用及其对健康的潜在影响尚不确定。这项研究旨在更深入地了解澳大利亚侨民文化、行为背景以及东南亚社会网络中的经历。这项研究将为政策和实践提供切实可行的建议，因为研究结果将通过当地的研究和评估网络、会议演讲和在线论坛分发给卫生专业人员和其他利益攸关方、学者和社区。科廷大学人类研究伦理委员会已批准这项研究。
