Using Geosocial Networking Apps to Understand the Spatial Distribution of Gay and Bisexual Men: Pilot Study
Date
2018
Authors
Card, Kiffer George
Lachowsky, Nathan J.
Hawkins, Blake W.
Compton, Miranda
Edward, Joshua
Salway, Travis
Gislason, Maya K.
Hogg, Robert S.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
JMIR Public Health and Surveillance
Abstract
Background: While services tailored for gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) may provide support
for this vulnerable population, planning access to these services can be difficult due to the unknown spatial distribution of gbMSM
outside of gay-centered neighborhoods. This is particularly true since the emergence of geosocial networking apps, which have
become a widely used venue for meeting sexual partners.
Objective: The goal of our research was to estimate the spatial density of app users across Metro Vancouver and identify the
independent and adjusted neighborhood-level factors that predict app user density.
Methods: This pilot study used a popular geosocial networking app to estimate the spatial density of app users across rural and
urban Metro Vancouver. Multiple Poisson regression models were then constructed to model the relationship between app user
density and areal population-weighted neighbourhood-level factors from the 2016 Canadian Census and National Household
Survey.
Results: A total of 2021 app user profiles were counted within 1 mile of 263 sampling locations. In a multivariate model
controlling for time of day, app user density was associated with several dissemination area–level characteristics, including
population density (per 100; incidence rate ratio [IRR] 1.03, 95% CI 1.02-1.04), average household size (IRR 0.26, 95% CI
0.11-0.62), average age of males (IRR 0.93, 95% CI 0.88-0.98), median income of males (IRR 0.96, 95% CI 0.92-0.99), proportion
of males who were not married (IRR 1.08, 95% CI 1.02-1.13), proportion of males with a postsecondary education (IRR 1.06,
95% CI 1.03-1.10), proportion of males who are immigrants (IRR 1.04, 95% CI 1.004-1.07), and proportion of males living below
the low-income cutoff level (IRR 0.93, 95% CI 0.89-0.98).
Conclusions: This pilot study demonstrates how the combination of geosocial networking apps and administrative datasets
might help care providers, planners, and community leaders target online and offline interventions for gbMSM who use apps.
Description
The authors would like to thank Kirk J Hepburn for his help in editing this manuscript and providing consultation on the statistical
approaches undertaken.
Keywords
service access, geosocial networking apps, gay and bisexual men, spatial distribution, gay neighborhoods
Citation
Card, K. G., Gibbs, J., Lachowsky, N. J., Hawkins, B. W., Compton, M., Edward, J., Salway, T., Gislason, M. K., & Hogg, R. S. (2018). “Using Geosocial Networking Apps to Understand the Spatial Distribution of Gay and Bisexual Men: Pilot Study.” JMIR Public Health and Surveillance, 4(3), e61. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2196/publichealth.8931