Behavioural Surveillance Surveys - The Wisdom of Whores

Step 14 : Data analysis
The penultimate step in the survey
process is the analysis of the data collected.
In addition to the calculation of behavioral
indicators based upon the survey data
collected, the analysis stage entails the
application of sampling weights to the data
(if necessary), the calculation of standard
errors of the survey estimates, and the conduct
of tests for the statistical significance of
observed trends over time and/or differences
among various response groups or sub-groups.
These issues are discussed in detail in Chapter 7.
Step 15 : Using the data
to improve HIV prevention
efforts
This final step is the one that justifies the
whole of the BSS effort. Primary responsibility
for decisions about how data are used will rest
with public health officials in the national
AIDS program. They will decide how best to
present data to different audiences to press
for change. These audiences may include
partners in HIV prevention both within the
government and outside it, members of the
respondent groups themselves and those who
provide services to them, key decision-makers
both nationally and internationally who can
contribute resources to a more effective
response to HIV. Behavioral data will usually
be combined with other sources of HIV-related
data such as that generated by a sentinel
surveillance system, and packaged differently
for different audiences.
B EHAV I OR A L S U R V EI L L A NC E SURV EY S CHAPTER 2
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