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，“青年男性联系项目（YMAP）”，通过引入一种新的方法来解决与健康相关的行为有关的社会网络的基本问题，从而推进社会网络分析的效用。我们应用新颖的双模式网络方法来研究16-29岁年轻男男性行为者（YMSM）的风险和基于健康场所的隶属关系网络及其与人类免疫缺陷病毒（HIV）和性传播感染（STIs）传播的关系。社会网络分析在理解传染病如何通过基于性行为或吸毒行为的“风险网络”传播方面的效用已得到证明。然而，很少利用社会网络分析来调查与可能发生艾滋病毒风险行为的风险空间或促进艾滋病毒保护行为的健康空间的联系如何有助于更普遍地传播疾病或健康行为。既涉及风险场所又涉及健康场所的复杂和潜在竞争的基于场所的隶属关系模式，可能形成具有竞争影响的网络，其中一些可能导致风险，另一些可能导致健康；人们对这种动态知之甚少，但它反映了干预的关键点。YMAP的目的是调查艾滋病毒/性传播感染的风险和保护行为，这些风险和保护行为与由YMSM基于场所的附属机构创建的复杂社会网络有关。YMAP将调查和描述网络对个体行为的影响（即，场所隶属关系导致行为），以及基于行为同一性的场所选择性隶属关系（即，行为相似的YMSM导致场所隶属关系）。我们的具体目标是：1)确定YMSM之间进行社交互动的场所；根据场地的特点创建场地类别（即风险、健康或两者兼而有之）；2)通过风险和健康场所隶属关系确定网络对HIV/STI风险/保护行为的影响，并按地理位置进行比较；3)调查基于HIV/STI风险和保护行为相似性的场所选择性隶属关系；4)发展纵向双模式网络方法，探索场馆隶属关系的动态。本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受访者驱动的抽样方式招募700名不同种族和民族的YMSM样本。YMAP将引入新的方法来测量基于隶属关系的网络影响、隶属关系网络的结构中心性，以及使用双模指数随机图模型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HIV/STI风险/保护行为相关的隶属关系网络的动态。YMAP通过解决与健康和行为有关的社会网络的基本问题，并开发创新的方法来促进、改进和扩大社会网络分析的能力，直接回应PAR。

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.