Research Note

The Livity study: research challenges and strategies for engaging with the black caribbean community in a study of HIV infection

Bibliographic Data

ID12594974
AuthorsMoji Anderson (Schlumberger (Ireland), corresponding author), Ijeoma Solarin (0000-0002-2045-3053), Sarah Gerver (0000-0003-0510-7782), Gillian Elam, Emma Macfarlane (0000-0001-6725-1224), Kevin Fenton (0000-0002-0528-6349), Philippa Easterbrook (0000-0002-2603-5418)
Year2008
Volume12
Issue3
Pages197-209
Publication date2008-05-12
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Social Research Methodology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1364-5579 • E-ISSN: 1464-5300
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/13645570701708584
OpenAlexW1969142965
LanguageEN
Citations received8
References cited46

There is an increasing incidence of new HIV‐1 diagnoses among black Caribbeans in the UK, but there has been limited research in this area. The LIVITY study is the first in‐depth epidemiological and behavioural study to examine the impact of HIV among black Caribbeans in the UK. The UK black Caribbean community has traditionally been regarded as less likely to participate in clinical research and surveys. We identified three major challenges to recruitment to the LIVITY study: general distrust of the research process; the considerable stigma surrounding HIV in the black Caribbean community and the sensitivity of obtaining detailed sexual histories. The strategies devised to help overcome these barriers to optimise recruitment included: the establishment of a black Caribbean Community Advisory Group to facilitate communication between the community and the researchers and assist in questionnaire design to improve acceptability to the participants; use of healthcare practitioners as gatekeepers; extensive piloting and modification of the questionnaire among black Caribbean patients; reassurances of confidentiality during recruitment; and ethnic matching between interviewer and study participants. Another challenge was the high rate of loss to follow‐up among eligible patients, potentially compromising the study’s generalisability. Nevertheless, use of the above strategies resulted in a satisfactory enrolment rate of 57%, who were representative of all eligible patients

Confidentiality · Distrust · Ethnic group · Family medicine · Interview · Political science · Psychiatry · Sociology · Stigma (botany · Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions · Medicine · Psychology · Sex work and related issues · Gerontology

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