Delaney Kevin P, Kramer Michael R, Waller Lance A, Flanders W Dana, Sullivan Patrick S
Department of Epidemiology, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.
J Med Internet Res. 2014 Nov 18;16(11):e249. doi: 10.2196/jmir.3523.
In the United States, human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) continues to have a heavy impact on men who have sex with men (MSM). Among MSM, black men under the age of 30 are at the most risk for being diagnosed with HIV. The US National HIV/AIDS strategy recommends intensifying efforts in communities that are most heavily impacted; to do so requires new methods for identifying and targeting prevention resources to young MSM, especially young MSM of color.
We piloted a methodology for using the geolocation features of social and sexual networking applications as a novel approach to calculating the local population density of sex-seeking MSM and to use self-reported age and race from profile postings to highlight areas with a high density of minority and young minority MSM in Atlanta, Georgia.
We collected data from a geographically systematic sample of points in Atlanta. We used a sexual network mobile phone app and collected application profile data, including age, race, and distance from each point, for either the 50 closest users or for all users within a 2-mile radius of sampled points. From these data, we developed estimates of the spatial density of application users in the entire city, stratified by race. We then compared the ratios and differences between the spatial densities of black and white users and developed an indicator of areas with the highest density of users of each race.
We collected data from 2666 profiles at 79 sampled points covering 883 square miles; overlapping circles of data included the entire 132.4 square miles in Atlanta. Of the 2666 men whose profiles were observed, 1563 (58.63%) were white, 810 (30.38%) were black, 146 (5.48%) were another race, and 147 (5.51%) did not report a race in their profile. The mean age was 31.5 years, with 591 (22.17%) between the ages of 18-25, and 496 (18.60%) between the ages of 26-30. The mean spatial density of observed profiles was 33 per square mile, but the distribution of profiles observed across the 79 sampled points was highly skewed (median 17, range 1-208). Ratio, difference, and distribution outlier measures all provided similar information, highlighting areas with higher densities of minority and young minority MSM.
Using a limited number of sampled points, we developed a geospatial density map of MSM using a social-networking sex-seeking app. This approach provides a simple method to describe the density of specific MSM subpopulations (users of a particular app) for future HIV behavioral surveillance and allow targeting of prevention resources such as HIV testing to populations and areas of highest need.
在美国，人类免疫缺陷病毒/获得性免疫缺陷综合征（HIV/AIDS）继续对男男性行为者（MSM）产生重大影响。在男男性行为者中，30岁以下的黑人男性感染HIV的风险最高。美国国家HIV/AIDS战略建议在受影响最严重的社区加大力度；要做到这一点，需要新的方法来识别和定位针对年轻男男性行为者，尤其是有色人种年轻男男性行为者的预防资源。
我们试点了一种方法，利用社交和性网络应用程序的地理位置功能，作为一种新颖的方法来计算寻求性接触的男男性行为者的当地人口密度，并利用个人资料中的自我报告年龄和种族来突出佐治亚州亚特兰大少数族裔和年轻少数族裔男男性行为者高密度的地区。
我们从亚特兰大地理系统抽样的地点收集数据。我们使用一款性网络手机应用程序，并收集应用程序个人资料数据，包括年龄、种族以及每个地点的距离，对象为距离最近的50名用户或抽样地点2英里半径内的所有用户。根据这些数据，我们估算了全市应用程序用户的空间密度，并按种族进行分层。然后，我们比较了黑人和白人用户空间密度的比率和差异，并制定了每个种族用户密度最高地区的指标。
我们在覆盖883平方英里的79个抽样地点收集了2666份个人资料数据；数据重叠区域覆盖了亚特兰大132.4平方英里的整个区域。在观察到的2666名男性中，1563人（58.63%）为白人，810人（30.38%）为黑人，146人（5.48%）为其他种族，147人（5.51%）在个人资料中未报告种族。平均年龄为31.5岁，其中18至25岁的有591人（22.17%），26至30岁的有496人（18.60%）。观察到的个人资料的平均空间密度为每平方英里33人，但在79个抽样地点观察到的个人资料分布高度不均衡（中位数为17，范围为1 - 208）。比率、差异和分布异常值测量都提供了类似的信息，突出了少数族裔和年轻少数族裔男男性行为者密度较高的地区。
通过使用有限数量的抽样地点，我们利用一款社交性网络寻求应用程序绘制了男男性行为者的地理空间密度图。这种方法提供了一种简单的方式来描述特定男男性行为者亚群体（特定应用程序的用户）的密度，用于未来的HIV行为监测，并能够将预防资源（如HIV检测）针对最需要的人群和地区。
