A note on implementation of a random-walk design to study adolescent social networks

✍ Scribed by Gene A. McGrady; Clementine Marrow; Gail Myers; Michael Daniels; Mildred Vera; Charles Mueller; Edward Liebow; Alden Klovdahl; Richard Lovely

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1995
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 244 KB
• Volume: 17
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0378-8733
• DOI: 10.1016/0378-8733(95)00265-p

✦ Synopsis

Starting with adolescents residing in an inner-city neighborhood, a random-walk sampling design was implemented with the aim of examining the socioecological context of behaviors pertinent to HIV transmission.

A three-step, four-node random walk was attempted for each initial respondent, n = 43, of a probability sample of 12-15-year-old boys and girls who resided in a census-tract delimited area.

The success rate in identifying and locating named associates was approximately 62%. The response rate of locatable associates exceeded 90%. No systematic item non-response or refusal was apparent in the interview process.

The major obstacle to implementation was difficulty locating named associates and not, as anticipated, nonresponse or refusal to disclose sensitive information.