Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The STEP trials

A round-up of the STEP phase 3 clinical trials evaluating semaglutide for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy
Published in: Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy 1/2016

Open Access 01-12-2016 | Research

Using respondent-driven sampling (RDS) to recruit illegal poly-substance users in Cape Town, South Africa: implications and future directions

Authors: Nadine Harker Burnhams, Ria Laubscher, Simon Howell, Mark Shaw, Jodilee Erasmus, Loraine Townsend

Published in: Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy | Issue 1/2016

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

South Africa continues to witness an increase in illicit poly-substance use, although a precise measurement continues to be compounded by difficulties in accessing users. In a pilot attempt to use respondent-driven sampling (RDS)—a chain referral sampling method used to access populations of individuals who are ‘hard-to-reach’—this article documents the feasibility of the method as recorded in a simultaneously run, multisite, poly-substance study in Cape Town. Here we aim to a) document the piloting of RDS among poly-substance users in the three socio-economic disparate communities targeted; b) briefly document the results; and c) review the utility of RDS as a research tool.

Methods

Three cross-sectional surveys using standard RDS procedures were used to recruit active poly-substance users and were concurrently deployed in three sites. Formative research was initially conducted to assess the feasibility of the survey. To determine whether RDS could be used to successfully recruit poly-substance users, social network characteristics, such as network size was determined.

Results

A 42.5 % coupon return rate was recorded in total from 12 initial seeds. There were vast differences in the recruitment chains of individual seeds—two generated more than 90 recruits, and 2 of the 10 recruitment chains showing a length of more than 10 waves. Findings include evidence of the use of 3 or more substances in all three sites, high levels of unemployment among users, with more than a third of participants in two sites reporting arrest for drug use in the past 12 months.

Conclusions

Our results indicate that RDS was a feasible and acceptable sampling method for recruiting participants who may not otherwise be accessible. Future studies can use RDS to recruit such cohorts, and the method could form part of broader efforts to document vulnerable populations.
Literature
1.
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. World Drug Report 2015. In: UNITED NATIONS PUBLICATION. 2015. Sales No. E.15.XI.6.
2.
Dada S, Erasmus J, Harker Burnhams N, Parry C, Bhana A, Timol F, Fourie D, Kitshoff D, Nel E, Weimann R. SACENDU RESEARCH BRIEF: Monitoring Alcohol, Tobacco and other Drug Abuse Trends in South Africa (July 1996 - December 2014). Cape Town: South African Medical Research Council; 2015.
3.
Parry CD, Pluddeman A, Louw A, Leggett T. The 3-metros study of drugs and crime in South Africa: findings and policy implications. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 2004;30:167–85.CrossRefPubMed
4.
Burnhams NH, Myers B, Fakier N, Parry C, Carelse J. Establishing a computerized substance abuse surveillance system for district social workers in the Western Cape Province, South Africa: Methods, successes and challenges. Drugs. 2011;18:40–6.
5.
Ludici A, Castelnuovo G, Faccio E. New Drugs and poly-drug use: Implications for clinical psychology. Front Psychol. 2015;6:1–3.
6.
Verdejo-Garci´a AJ, Lo´pez-Torrecillas F, Aguilar De Arcos F, Pe´rez-Garcia M. Differential effects of MDMA, cocaine, and cannabis use severity on distinctive components of the executive functions in poly-substance users: A multiple regression analysis. Addict Behav. 2005;30:89–101.CrossRef
7.
Kimani SM, Watt MH, Merli MG, Skinner D, Myers B, Pieterse D, Macfarlane JC, Meade CS. Respondent-driven sampling is an effective method for engaging methamphetamine users in HIV prevention research in South Africa. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2014;143:134–40.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
8.
Wang J, Falk RS, Li L, Rahman A, Calson RG. Respondent-driven sampling in the recruitment of illicit stimulant drug users in a rural setting: Findings and technical issues. Addict Behav. 2007;32(5):924–37.CrossRefPubMed
9.
Robinson WT, Risser JMH, McGoy S, Becker AB, Rehman H, Jefferson M, Griffin V, Wolverton M, Tortu S. Recruiting Injection Drug Users: A Three-Site Comparison of Results and Experiences with Respondent-Driven and Targeted Sampling Procedures. J Urban Health. 2006;93(1):29–38.CrossRef
10.
Mills HL, Colijn C, Vickerman P, Leslie D, Hope V, Hickman M. Respondent driven sampling and community structure in a population of injecting drug users, Bristol, UK. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2012;126(3):324–32.CrossRefPubMed
11.
Heckathorn DD. Respondent-Driven Sampling: A New Approach to the Study of Hidden Populations. Soc Probl. 1997;44(2):174–99.CrossRef
12.
Johnston LG, Sabin K. Sampling hard-to-reach populations with respondent driven sampling. Methodological Innov Online. 2010;5(2):38–48.
13.
Cloete A, Simbayi LC, Rehle T, Townsend L, Notshe Y, Naidoo Y, Louw J, Naidoo P, Mabaso M, Manzini K, Jonas K, Mthembu J, Duda T: Lessons learnt in a HIV behavioural survey using respondent driven sampling (RDS) among men who have sex with men (MSM) in three South African cities 2013. Retrieved from: http://​www.​hsrc.​ac.​za/​en/​research-outputs/​view/​6549. Accessed May 2016.
14.
Stomer A, Tun W, Guli L, Harxhi A, Bodanovskaia Z, Yakovleva A, Rusakova M, et al. An Analysis of Respondent Driven Sampling with Injection Drug Users (IDU) in Albania and the Russian Federation. J Urban Health-Bulletin New York Acad Med. 2006;83(6):I73–82.
15.
Solomon SS, Mehta SH, SriKrishnan AK, Solomon S, McFall AM, Laeyendecker O, Celentano DD, et al. Burden of Hepatitis C Virus Disease and Access to Hepatitis C Virus Services in People Who Inject Drugs in India: A Cross-Sectional Study. Lancet Infect Dis. 2015;15(1):36–45.CrossRefPubMed
16.
Des Jarlais DC, Arasteh K, Semaan S, Wood E. HIV among injecting drug users: current epidemiology, biologic markers, respondent-driven sampling, and supervised injection-facilities. Curr Opin HIV AIDS. 2009;4(4):303–13.CrossRef
17.
Painstil E, Verevochkin SV, Dukhovlinova E, Niccolai L, Barbour R, White E, Toussova OV, Aleander L, Kozlov AP, Heimer R. Hepatitis C Virus Infection among Drug Injectors in St Petersburg, Russia: Social and Molecular Epidemiology of an Endemic Infection. Addiction. 2009;104(11):1881–90.CrossRef
18.
Soliman C, Rahman IA, Shawky S, Bahaa T, Elkamhawi S, El Sattar AA, Oraby D, et al. HIV Prevalence and Risk Behaviors of Male Injection Drug Users in Cairo, Egypt. AIDS. 2010;24:S33–38.CrossRefPubMed
19.
Wejnert C, Pham H, Krishna N, Le B, DiNenno E. Estimating Design Effect and Calculating Sample Size for Respondent-Driven Sampling Studies of Injection Drug Users in the United States. Aids Behav. 2012;16(4):797–806.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
20.
Young AM, Jonas AB, Mullins UL, Halgin DS, Havens JR. Network Structure and the Risk for HIV Transmission among Rural Drug Users. Aids Behav. 2013;17(7):2341–51.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
21.
Rudolph AE, Gaines TL, Lozada R, Vera A, Brouwer KC. Evaluating Outcome-Correlated Recruitment and Geographic Recruitment Bias in a Respondent-Driven Sample of People Who Inject Drugs in Tijuana, Mexico. Aids Behav. 2014;18(12):2325–37.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
22.
Mackesy-Amiti ME, Donenberg GR, Ouellet LJ. Prevalence of Psychiatric Disorders among Young Injection Drug Users. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2012;124(1–2):70–8.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
23.
Daniulaityte R, Falck R, Carlson RG. Illicit Use of Buprenorphine in a Community Sample of Young Adult Non-Medical Users of Pharmaceutical Opioids. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2012;122(3):201–7.CrossRefPubMed
24.
Currie C, Molcho M, Boyce W, Holstein B, Torsheim T, Richter M. Researching health inequalities in adolescents: The development of the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) Family Affluence Scale. Soc Sci Med. 2008;66:1429–36.CrossRefPubMed
25.
Mayfield D, McLeod G, Hall P. The CAGE questionnaire: validation of a new alcoholism instrument. Am J Psychiatry. 1974;131:1121–3.PubMed
26.
27.
Hathaway AD, Hyshka E, Erickson PG, Asbridge M, Brochu S, Cousineau MM, Duff C, Whither MD, RDS. An investigation of respondent driven sampling as a method of recruiting mainstream marijuana users. Harm Reduct J. 2010;7:15.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
28.
Yeka W, Maibani-Michie G, Prybylski D, Colby D. Application of respondent driven sampling to collect baseline data on FSWs and MSM for risk reduction interventions in two urban centres in Papua New Guinea. J Urban Health. 2006;83(6):60–72.CrossRefPubMedCentral
29.
Myers BJ, Louw J, Pasche SC. Gendered barriers to substance abuse treatment utilization among disadvantaged communities in Cape Town, South Africa. Afr J Psychiatry. 2011;14:146–53.
30.
Greenfield S, Brooks A, Gordon S, Green C, Kropp K, McHugh K, Lincoln M, Hien D, Miele G. Substance abuse treatment entry, retention, and outcome in women: A review of the literature. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2007;86:1–21.CrossRefPubMed
31.
McLellan AT, Gutman M, Lynch K, McKay JR, Ketterlinus R, Morgenstern J, Woolis D. One-year outcomes from the CASAWORKS for Families intervention for substance-abusing women on welfare. Eval Rev. 2003;27:656–80.CrossRefPubMed
32.
Myers B, Vythilingum B. Women and Alcohol. In: Stein D, Ellis G, Thomas K, Meintjies E, editors. Substance Use and Abuse in South Africa: Insights from Brain and Behavioural Sciences. Cape Town: UCT Press; 2012.
33.
Sampson WH. Alcohol and Other Factors Affecting Osteoporosis Risk in Women; Alcohol research & health. J Nat’l Inst Alcohol Abuse Alcoholism. 2002;26(4):292–8.
34.
Schneider M, Norman R, Parry C, Bradshaw D, Pludderman A. Estimating the burden of disease attributable to alcohol use in South Africa in 2000. South African medical journal. 2007;97:664–72.PubMed
35.
Okal J, Raymond HF, Tun W, Musyoki H, Dadabhai S, Broz D, Nyamu J, Kuria D, Muraguri N, Geibel S. Lessons learnt from respondent-driven sampling recruitment in Narobi: experiences from the field. BMC Research Notes 2016, 9(158).
36.
37.
Burnhams NH, Dada S, Myers B. Social service offices as a point of entry into substance abuse treatment for poor South Africans. Substance abuse treatment, prevention, and policy 2012, 7(22).
38.
Plüddeman A, Parry CDH, Flisher AJ, Jordaan E. Heroin users in Cape Town, South Africa: Injecting practices. HIV- related risk behaviours and other health consequences. J Psychoactive Drugs. 2008;30(3):273–76.
39.
Harker Burnhams, N, Parry C, Laubscher R, London L. Prevalence and predictors of problematic alcohol use, risky sexual practices and other negative consequences associated with alcohol use among safety and security employees in the Western Cape, South Africa. Subs Abuse Treat Prev Policy. 2014;9.
40.
De Oliviera L, Alberghini D, Dos Santos B, De Andrade A. Polydrugdrug use among college students in Brazil: a nationwide survey. Rev Bras Psiquiatr. 2013;35:221–30.CrossRef
41.
Pennings EJ, Leccese AP, Wolff FA. Effects of concurrent use of alcohol and cocaine. Addiction. 2002;97:773–83.CrossRefPubMed
42.
Degenhardt L, Topp L. Crystal meth’ use among polydrug users in Sydney’s dance party subculture: characteristics, use patterns and associated harms. Int J Drug Policy. 2003;14:17–24.CrossRef
43.
Font-Mayolas S, Gras ME, Cebrian N, Salamo A, Planes M, Sulliman MJ. Types of polydrug use among Spanish adolescents. Addict Behav. 2013;38:1605–9.CrossRefPubMed
44.
Burdzovic AJ, Lauritzen G, Nordfjaern T. Co-occurrence between mental distress and poly-drug use: a ten year prospective study of patients from substance abuse treatment. Addict Behav. 2015;48:71–8.CrossRef
45.
Myers BJ, Louw J, Pasche SC. Inequitable access to substance abuse treatment services in Cape Town, South Africa. Subs Abuse Treat Prev Policy. 2010;5(28):1–11.
Metadata
Title
Using respondent-driven sampling (RDS) to recruit illegal poly-substance users in Cape Town, South Africa: implications and future directions
Authors
Nadine Harker Burnhams
Ria Laubscher
Simon Howell
Mark Shaw
Jodilee Erasmus
Loraine Townsend
Publication date
01-12-2016
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy / Issue 1/2016
Electronic ISSN: 1747-597X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13011-016-0074-1

Other articles of this Issue 1/2016

Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy 1/2016 Go to the issue

Research

Comparison of illegal drug use pattern in Taiwan and Korea from 2006 to 2014

Research

Type of opioid dependence among patients seeking opioid substitution treatment: are there differences in background and severity of problems?

Research

Evaluation of pseudoephedrine pharmacy sales before and after mandatory recording requirements in Western Australia: a case study

Research

Students’ drinking behavior and perceptions towards introducing alcohol policies on university campus in Denmark: a focus group study

Research

Prevalence, knowledge and attitude of prohibited substances use (doping) among Saudi sport players

Research

Drug-related celebrity deaths: A cross-sectional study