Mediation Effect of Network Function on Transition to Injection Drug Use

描述(申请人提供)：注射吸毒仍然是中国艾滋病和丙型肝炎病毒的主要传播方式。越来越多的证据表明，在最近开始注射毒品的年轻注射吸毒者中，感染艾滋病毒和丙型肝炎病毒的风险最高。因此，预防艾滋病毒/丙型肝炎的一个关键挑战是通过干预措施防止从非注射吸毒向注射吸毒的转变。然而，中国对转型过程中重要的社会或个人因素仍知之甚少。本应用程序的目的是审查社交网络组成部分在18至25岁的年轻吸毒者从非吸毒者向吸毒者过渡过程中的作用。社会网络的概念包括三个组成部分：关系(亲属、朋友、同事、吸毒者和性伴侣)；结构(大小、密度、并发性和多重性)和功能(社会支持和规范)。网络成员对意图和行为的规范性决定因素具有强大的影响力。在强调集体主义的中国文化中，使用社交网络方法来研究转型可能特别有用。集体主义关注的是一种社会网络，它由认为自己与其他人紧密联系在一起的人组成。该应用的中心假设是，网络功能，特别是社会规范，在中国集体主义文化中的其他两个网络组成部分(关系和结构)与IDU转变之间起到了中介作用。这一假设将在从年轻吸毒者的社交网络中提取的样本中进行验证，使用受访者驱动的抽样(RDS)。本研究有两个目的：(1)通过定性研究，对人口统计特征、中国集体主义文化、网络构成和向国际戒毒过渡之间的联系形成一种情境化的理解；(2)通过定量方法检验和检验中心假设。二十四名青少年吸毒者将接受深入访问。一项跨界别调查将在二百五十名青少年吸毒者(包括静脉吸毒者和非吸毒者)中进行，他们是透过研究发展计划从吸毒者的网络关系招募而来的。通过使用定性和定量的研究方法，我们将探索中国的文化、社会规范和价值观，以实现列出的目标。目前这项研究的结果和从中获得的经验将有助于制定基于网络的干预叙事。该项目旨在确定在中国年轻吸毒者从非注射吸毒者向注射吸毒者过渡过程中，社交网络成分所起的作用。这项研究的结果和从中获得的经验将有助于制定基于网络的干预措施。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Injection drug use (IDU) remains the dominant mode of HIV and hepatitis C virus transmission in China. Accumulating evidence demonstrates that risk for HIV and HCV infection is highest among young injection drug users who have recently initiated drug injection. A key challenge in HIV/HCV prevention is therefore to prevent the transition from non-injection drug use (NIDU) to IDU through interventions. However, social or personal factors important for the transition remain poorly understood in China. The objective of this application is to examine the roles of social network components as they contribute to the transition from NIDU to IDU among young drug users between the ages of 18 and 25 years. Social networks are conceptualized as comprising three components: relations (kin, friend, coworkers, drug users, and sex partner); structures (size, density, concurrency and multiplexity) and functions (social support and norms). Network members exert powerful influences on normative determinants of intention and behaviors. The use of a social network approach for studying the transition may be particularly useful in the Chinese culture which emphasizes collectivism. Collectivism focuses on a social network that is composed of people who consider themselves to be closely linked with one another. The central hypothesis of the application is that network functions, especially social norms, mediate the associations between the other two network components (relations and structures) and IDU transition in the Chinese collectivist culture. This hypothesis will be tested in a sample drawn from young drug users' social network ties, using respondent-driven sampling (RDS). This study has two aims: (1) to develop a contextualized understanding of the linkages among demographic characteristics, the Chinese collectivist culture, network components and the transition to IDU through qualitative research; and (2) to examine and test the central hypothesis through a quantitative approach. In-depth interviews will be performed among 24 young drug users. A cross-sectional survey will be conducted among 250 young drug users (including both IDUs and NIDUs) recruited through RDS from drug users' network ties. Through the use of both qualitative and quantitative research approaches, we will explore the Chinese culture, social norms and values in order to accomplish the listed aims. The results of this current study and experience gained from it will facilitate the formulation of a network-based intervention narrative. This project seeks to determine the roles of social network components as they contribute to the transition from non-injection drug use to injection drug use among young drug users in China. The results of this study and experience gained from it will facilitate the formulation of a network-based intervention.