Hybridized cell phone and survey generated communication network

描述(由申请人提供)：拟议的研究应用了一种创新的网络测量应用程序-手机辅助网络检测和识别(CANDID)-以建立一个通信网络，并检查其与艾滋病毒感染高危男性的健康相关行为的关系。大多数关于健康和行为的网络研究都使用了对个人的自我中心调查，这些调查依赖于受访者产生他们网络中的改变者的名字并提供关于他们的信息。然而，以自我为中心的数据收集用于网络表征有几个明显的限制。在使用档案计算机化网络数据方面的最新进展，包括电子邮件消息、引文和移动电话提供商数据，使得能够对“整个”网络结构进行更客观的分析。然而，健康或行为信息方面的缺陷是此类数据集固有的。我们计划通过应用一种新开发的网络测量算法CARTID，并结合姓名翻译器，解决当前基础网络研究的至少两个局限性：受访者偏见(回忆、识别和遗忘)和档案网络数据的缺陷(特别是缺乏与行为健康相关的数据)。CANTID是一款低成本的应用程序，它利用手机用户识别模块(SIM)读卡器和相关软件，允许从受访者的手机联系人列表中进行绑定/更改身份识别。手机的一次变革 数字将作为每个受访者和联系人的“唯一识别符”。有了强大的隐私保护措施，我们能够毫不含糊地链接所有抽样受访者的联系人列表，以生成一个“增强”网络，即受访者的网络联系信息加上所有其他参与者(包括非抽样参与者)的联系信息。然后，抽样受访者的姓名翻译器数据提供补充的TIE/ALTER属性信息。这种链接来自抽样受访者的手机联系人列表的方法结合了档案和以自我为中心的网络数据收集，允许通过调查数据、领带属性和演员健康行为特征来测量参与者之间的间接和直接联系。这种混合方法将被用来探索印度男男性行为者(MSM)的交流网络结构。然后，它将通过一个实证分析框架具体应用，以探索在一个庞大的印度MSM网络中，婚姻状况、性位置和艾滋病毒风险之间的复杂相互作用。 公共卫生相关性：拟议的研究将利用一种创新的社交网络表征应用--手机辅助网络检测和识别(CANTID)--并在艾滋病毒感染的高危男性人群中进行现场测试。这一混合的坦率应用程序将允许调查人员解决两种常见社交网络数据收集方法的局限性-以自我为中心和归档-并将被利用来探索网络结构。然后，它将通过一个实证分析框架具体应用，以探索潜在的网络解释，以解释印度高危男性中婚姻状况、性地位和艾滋病毒风险之间的复杂互动。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed research applies an innovative network measurement application - Cell-phone Assisted Network Detection and Identification (CANDID) - to establish a communication network and examine its relation to health related behaviors for men at high risk for HIV infection. Most network studies of health and behavior have used egocentric surveys of individuals that depend on respondents generating the names of alters in their network and providing information on them. However, the utility of egocentric data collection for network characterization has several clear limitations. Recent advances in use of archival computerized network data including email messages, citations, and cell phone provider data has allowed for more objective analyses of "whole" network structure. However, deficiencies in health or behavioral information are inherent to such datasets. We plan to address at least two limitations of current basic network research: respondent bias (recall, recognition and forgetting) and deficiencies in archival network data (especially the lack of behavioral health related data) by applying a newly developed network measurement algorithm, CANDID, combined with a name interpreter. CANDID is a low-cost application that utilizes a cell-phone Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card reader and associated software to allow for tie/alter identification from respondents' cell phone contact lists. A transformation of cell phone numbers will serve as a "unique identifier" for each respondent and contact. With strong privacy protections in place, we are able to unambiguously link contact lists of all sampled respondents to generate an "augmented" network, that is, network tie information for respondents plus tie information for all other actors (including non-sampled actors). Name interpreter data of sampled respondents then provides complementary tie/alter attribute information. This approach of linking cell phone contact lists from sampled respondents combines archival and egocentric network data collection allowing for measurement of undirected and directed ties between actors with confidence and through survey data, tie attributes and actor health behavior characteristics. This hybrid approach will be leveraged to explore communication network structures in Indian men who have sex with men (MSM). It will then be specifically applied via an empirical analytic framework to explore the complex interactions between marital status, sex position and HIV risk among a large augmented network of Indian MSM. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The proposed study will utilize an innovative novel social network characterization application - Cell-phone Assisted Network Detection and identification (CANDID) - and field test it in a population of men at high risk for HIV infection. This hybrid CANDID application will allow for investigators to address limitations of two common social network data collection methods - egocentric and archival - and will be leveraged to explore network structure. It will then be specifically applied via an empirical analytic framework to explore potential network explanations for the complex interactions between marital status, sex position and risk of HIV among Indian high risk men.