Momentum
The Momentum Health Study is a sexual health study of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men in Greater Vancouver. Momentum aims to report new estimates of HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men (MSM) in the region. The study supported by grants from the National Institute of Health and the Canadian Institute for Health Research.
This study will be the first in BC to use Respondent Driven Sampling (RDS) to obtain a representative sample of MSM reflective of the ethno-cultural diversity of Greater Vancouver and inclusive of MSM subgroups that may have been overlooked in other sampling strategies. RDS is a form of peer-recruited network sampling, where participants receive study vouchers to give to their friends so they can participate too.
Momentum consists of two linked projects and will operate over five years, from 2011 to 2016. We will conduct two surveys over five years that are designed to provide consistent and representative estimates of HIV risk behaviour, HIV sero-status, antiretroviral therapy (ART) use and viral load among MSM in Greater Vancouver. Eligible participants in the first survey will also be invited to participate in a cohort study, with follow-up every six months for four years.
STUDIES MENU
Research Summaries
What is the importance of this study? ¥ Across Canada, gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBM) accounted for over half of the new cases of HIV in 2014. ¥ New medical innovations may unintentionally lead to less condom use. ¥ There are gaps in knowledge of how condom use may […]
What is the importance of this study? ¥ Marginalization on the basis of sexual orientation increases the risk for problematic substance use and poor mental health. ¥ There is a link between an individual’s mental health and substance use. ¥ Mental health conditions and substance use have important implications for clinical and public health practice. […]
What is the importance of this study? ¥ In Vancouver, one in five gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBM) live with HIV, with increasing prevalence by increasing age. ¥ There is a gap in knowledge and understanding of the sexual health implications of intergenerational relationships, which are relationships with a […]
What is the importance of this study? ¥ While there is an estimate of the number of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBM) in Vancouver, it is difficult to get a diverse and representative sample. ¥ Previous researchers have found certain sub-populations may be underrepresented in research data. Citation: Lachowsky […]
What is the importance of this study? ¥ There has generally been increased use of the internet and social networking tools, which may influence social behaviours. ¥ Gay and bisexual men’s community involvement has changed over time: internet apps and websites are increasingly used to seek new partners. ¥ An individual’s social network can influence […]
What does this study demonstrate? ¥ Underreported operational challenges of implementing respondent-driven sampling (RDS). ¥ Factors associated with productive recruiting in an urban RDS-generated sample of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM) in order to help other RDS researchers. ¥ The importance of social network size in RDS adjustment to […]
What is the importance of this study? ¥ Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBM) are at a disproportionately higher risk of HIV infection. ¥ Seroadaptive strategies take into consideration the known or assumed HIV status of individuals and their partners to avoid transmission. ¥ Understanding the patterns of seroadaptive behaviours […]
What is the importance of this study? ¥ Initial participants (‘seeds’) are critical to respondent-driven sampling (RDS) as they lead to more participants joining the study. Yet, there is little information available on how seeds that were recruited through online strategies may effect RDS implementation. ¥ We compared online-recruited seeds with offline-recruited seeds, as well […]