Mediation Effect of Network Function on Transition to Injection Drug Use

描述（由申请人提供）：注射吸毒（IDU）仍然是中国HIV和丙型肝炎病毒传播的主要方式。越来越多的证据表明，最近开始注射毒品的年轻注射毒品使用者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/丙型肝炎病毒的一个关键挑战是通过干预措施防止从非注射吸毒过渡到注射吸毒。然而，在中国，对转型重要的社会或个人因素仍然知之甚少。该应用程序的目的是研究社会网络组成部分的作用，因为它们有助于18至25岁的年轻吸毒者从非吸毒者过渡到注射吸毒者。社交网络被概念化为包括三个组成部分：关系（亲属、朋友、同事、吸毒者和性伴侣）;结构（规模、密度、并发性和多样性）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施加强大的影响。在强调集体主义的中国文化中，使用社会网络方法来研究这种转变可能特别有用。集体主义关注的是一个由认为自己与他人紧密联系的人组成的社会网络。应用的中心假设是，网络功能，特别是社会规范，调解其他两个网络组件（关系和结构）之间的关联和IDU在中国集体主义文化的转变。这一假设将在从年轻吸毒者的社会网络关系中抽取的样本中进行测试，使用应答者驱动抽样（RDS）。这项研究有两个目的：（1）通过定性研究，对人口特征、中国集体主义文化、网络成分和向IDU过渡之间的联系进行情境化理解;（2）通过定量方法检验和检验中心假设。将对24名青少年吸毒者进行深入访谈。将对通过RDS从吸毒者网络关系中招募的250名青少年吸毒者（包括注射吸毒者和非注射吸毒者）进行横断面调查。通过使用定性和定量研究方法，我们将探索中国文化，社会规范和价值观，以实现上述目标。目前这项研究的结果和从中获得的经验将有助于制定一个基于网络的干预说明。该项目旨在确定社会网络各组成部分在促进中国青年吸毒者从非注射吸毒向注射吸毒过渡方面的作用。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.