15th International AIDS Conference Bangkok, Thailand - July 11-16, 2004

Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. C10188)

Wu ZY, Rotheram MJ, Detels R, Liang GJ, Guan JH, Li L, Yan YS
Chinese CDC, Beijing, China

BACKGROUND: This paper aims to demonstrate how the process of implementing a successful HIV intervention program requires setting criteria for the selection of the target population and setting and checking that the populations and settings meet the criteria.

METHODS: The selection criteria established are: having sufficient risk in the target population in order to demonstrate an impact, an ability to track the target group longitudinally, support from gatekeepers and stakeholders in the setting, and feasibility of implementation by the research team. After establishing the criteria, a systematic examination of four populations/settings was implemented in China: truck drivers, villagers, market owners, and construction workers in five regions (capital city, economic development zone, rural province, mountainous regions, and costal city).

RESULTS: Market workers in a Eastern costal city in China were identified as the target population and information was gained to support the selection of the population: 1) four levels of government and nongovernmental gatekeepers and stakeholders were supportive of the project; 2) the target population, market owners, self-reported risk and there was concurrent evidence of risk in official statistics of sexually transmitted diseases (STD); 3) the length of residency was 2-5 years; and 4) procedures for processing laboratory samples and data were feasible within a 24 hour period.

CONCLUSIONS: Selecting a target population is a time-consuming and rigorous process. If researchers systematically and routinely documented these procedures, resources would be saved with increasing the number of successfully implemented trials.

040711
C10188

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