University of Kentucky Center for Clinical and Translational Science Small Grants Program

CCTS funded project, “Studying Social Support for Harm Reduction Among Adults Who Use Opioids with Respondent-Driven Sampling and Personal Network Analysis." The study aimed to explore how social networks influence adults’ engagement in opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment and harm reduction strategies.

The study focused on two main feasibility aims:
Recruitment & Verification: Test the feasibility of recruiting adults who use opioids via social media and verifying opioid use through mailed urine drug tests.
Network Sampling: Test the feasibility of recruiting peers and family members (alters) of these participants (egos) through respondent-driven sampling to study their knowledge and perceptions of OUD treatment and harm reduction.