Exploring the Use of Smartphone Geofencing to Study Characteristics of Alcohol Drinking Locations in High-Risk Gay and Bisexual Men
Abstract
Geofencing offers new opportunities to study how specific environments affect alcohol use and related behavior. In this study, we examined the feasibility of using geofencing to examine social/environmental factors related to alcohol use and sexual perceptions in a sample of gay and bisexual men (GBM) who engage in heavy drinking and high-risk sex. HIV-negative GBM (N = 76) completed ecological momentary assessments for 30 days via a smartphone application and were prompted to complete surveys when inside general geofences set around popular bars and clubs. A subset (N = 45) were also asked to complete surveys when inside personal geofences, which participants set themselves by identifying locations where they typically drank heavily. Approximately 49% of participants received a survey prompted by a general geofence. Among those who identified at least 1 personal drinking location, 62.2% received a personal geofence-prompted survey. Of the 175 total location-based surveys, 40.2% occurred when participants were not at the location that was intended to be captured. Participants reported being most able to openly express themselves at gay bars/clubs and private residences, but these locations were also more "sexualized" than gener...Continue Reading
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