YMAP: Young Men's Affiliation Project of HIV Risk and Prevention Venue

描述（由申请人提供）：我们提出了一项研究，“青年男子的隶属项目（YMAP），”通过引入一种新的方式来解决有关健康相关行为的社交网络的基本问题，以推进社交网络分析的实用性。我们应用新的双模式网络方法来研究16-29岁的年轻男性同性性行为者（YMSM）的风险和健康基于场所的联系网络及其与人类免疫缺陷病毒（HIV）和性传播感染（STI）传播的关系。社会网络分析在了解传染病如何通过基于性行为或吸毒行为的“风险网络”传播方面的效用已经得到证明。然而，社会网络分析很少被用来调查如何与风险空间，艾滋病毒的风险行为可能发生或健康空间，艾滋病毒的保护行为，促进疾病传播或健康行为更普遍的联系。复杂和潜在竞争的基于场所的联系模式，涉及风险和健康场所，可能会创建具有竞争影响的网络，其中一些可能会导致风险，另一些可能会导致健康;这种动态很少被理解，但反映了干预的关键点。YMAP的目的是调查与YMSM基于场所的关系所创建的复杂社交网络相关的HIV/STI风险和保护行为。YMAP将调查和描述网络对个人行为的影响（即，场所附属关系导致行为），以及基于行为同质性的与场所的选择性附属关系（即，具有类似行为的YMSM导致场地归属）。我们的具体目标是：1）确定YMSM之间发生社交互动的场所;创建场所类别（即，风险，健康，或两者）考虑到他们的个人特征;2）确定网络的影响，艾滋病毒/性病的风险/保护行为，通过风险和健康的地点联系，并比较他们的地理位置; 3）调查选择性的联系与地点的基础上，在艾滋病毒/性病的风险和保护行为的相似性;和4）发展纵向双模式网络方法，以探索动态的地点联系。该研究将采用混合方法设计，包括定性实地研究，纵向定量数据收集和新颖的社会网络分析。将在休斯顿和芝加哥采用应答者驱动抽样方法招募700名YMSM的种族和民族多样性样本。YMAP将引入新的方法来测量基于关系的网络影响力，关系网络中的结构中心性，以及使用双模式指数随机图建模来估计与行为相关的网络配置。此外，将在两波纵向数据中探讨与艾滋病毒/性传播感染风险/保护行为有关的联系网络的动态。YMAP通过解决有关健康和行为的社交网络的基本问题直接响应PAR，并开发创新方法来促进，改进和扩展社交网络分析的能力。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): We propose a study, the "Young Men's Affiliation Project (YMAP)," to advance the utility of social network analysis by introducing a new way of addressing fundamental questions about social networks in relation to health-related behavior. We apply novel two-mode network methodologies to study the risk and health venue- based affiliation networks of younger men who have sex with men (YMSM) ages 16-29 and their relation to the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The utility of social network analysis for understanding how infectious diseases are spread through "risk networks" based on sexual or drug use behaviors has been demonstrated. However, social network analysis has only rarely been utilized for investigating how affiliation with risk spaces, where HIV risk behavior can take place or health spaces, where HIV protective behaviors are promoted, contributes to disease transmission or health behavior more generally. Complex and potentially competing venue-based affiliation patterns, involving both risk and health venues may create networks with competing influences, some of which may contribute to risk and others to health; this dynamic is poorly understood, but reflects critical points for intervention. The purpose of YMAP is to investigate the HIV/STI risk and protective behaviors associated with complex webs of social networks created by YMSM's venue-based affiliations. YMAP will investigate and describe network influences on individuals' behavior (i.e., venue affiliation leads to behavior), as well as selective affiliation with venues based on behavioral homophily (i.e., YMSM with similar behaviors leads to venue affiliation). Our specific aims are to: 1) Identify venues where social interaction among YMSM occurs; create venue categories (i.e., risk, health, or both) considering their individual characteristics;2) Determine network influences on HIV/STI risk/protective behavior through risk and health venue affiliation and compare them by geographic location; 3) Investigate selective affiliation with venues based on similarity in HIV/STI risk and protective behaviors; and 4) Develop longitudinal two-mode network methodology to explore the dynamics of venue affiliation. The study will be implemented using a mixed method design, including qualitative field research, longitudinal quantitative data collection, and novel social network analyses. A racially and ethnically diverse sample of 700 YMSM will be recruited using respondent driven sampling in Houston and Chicago. YMAP will introduce new approaches to measuring affiliation-based network influence, structural centrality in affiliation networks, and estimating network configurations relating to behavior using two-mode exponential random graph modeling. Furthermore, the dynamics of affiliation networks in relation to HIV/STI risk/protective behaviors will be explored in two- wave of longitudinal data. YMAP responds directly to the PAR by addressing fundamental questions about social networks in relation to health and behavior, and to develop innovative methodologies to facilitate, improve, and expand the capability of social network analysis.