Engage-COVID-19: A mixed Methods Study of Biomedical, Behavioural, and Psychosocial Aspects of the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men in Canada
Networks
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Datasets
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Variables
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The objective of this study is to document SARS-COV-2 infection and immunity and related determinants, as well as to examine how measures to stop or slow the spread of SARS-CoV-2 (e.g., physical distancing, personal hygiene, quarantine, travel restrictions) are received, understood, and being taken up by gay and bisexual men (GBM).
The aims are:
1. Biomedical:
* Ascertain occurrence of COVID-19 by documenting SARS-CoV-2 immunity within both HIV-positive and -negative participants across three jurisdictional sites.
* Identify risk factors for COVID-19 acquisition, including sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics (e.g., site of recruitment, ethno-cultural identity, type of employment, financial strain), behaviours (e.g., adherence to physical distancing, sexual relations), and potential exposure to COVID-19 (e.g., national or international travel, close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case).
* Characterize the clinical syndrome and related severity of both diagnosed cases and those having demonstrable immunity, while considering HIV status and clinical factors (e.g., comorbidities including level of HIV-related immune deficiency, hypertension, diabetes).
2. Behavioural & psychosocial:
* Assess the understanding of COVID-19 mitigation strategies (e.g., physical distancing, quarantine, hygiene, travel restrictions) among GBM, sources of COVID-19 information, if and how these mitigation strategies were applied by GBM, and barriers to practicing these prevention behaviours.
* Explore the direct and indirect impacts of the pandemic on GBM, including how COVID-19 is impacting mental health outcomes, experiences of loneliness, sexual behaviours, substance use patterns, and access to essential healthcare and services (e.g., potential disrupted access to HIV/STI testing, treatment, and prevention (e.g., PrEP), mental health services, harm reduction services).
* Provide an integrated approach to knowledge translation (KT), including adapting behavioural HIV prevention interventions based on our findings to reduce COVID-19 transmission behaviours.
- Start Year
- 2020
- End Year
- 2021
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Design
- Study design
- Cohort
- Follow Up
- The first wave of data collection was completed in April 2021 and the second wave of data collection is on-going (anticipated completion in October 2021).
Recruitment
- Recruitment Target
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- Individuals
Number of Participants
- Number of Participants
- 1,842
- Number of Participants with Biological Samples
- 1,842
Access
Availability of data and biosamples
| Possible Access to Data | |
| Possible Access to Biosamples | |
| Other |
Timeline
Engage-COVID-19 population
The population is composed of gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBM) who are enrolled in the Engage Cohort Study and are older than 16 years.
Selection Criteria
- Sex
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Men
- Minimum age
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17
- Newborns
- Twins
- Countries
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- Canada
- Territory
- Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal
- Ethnic Origin
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- Health Status
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- Other Criteria
- self-identify as a Gay and Bisexual Men (GBM), including transgender GBM, reported having sex with another man within the past 6 months, and able to read English or French.
Recruitment
- Sources of recruitment
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- Participants from existing studies
- Participants from Existing Studies
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- Engage Cohort Study
Number of Participants
- Number of Participants
- 1,842
- Number of Participants with Biological Samples
- 1,842
- Supplementary Information about selection criteria
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Vancouver: 565 participants
Toronto: 388 participants
Montreal: 889 participants
Data Collection Events
| # | Name | Description | Start | End |
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| 0 |
Engage-COVID-19 - Wave 1
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Information was collected from a survey on-site or online about experiences and risk factors for COVID-19 (history of a COVID-19 diagnosis, related symptoms and outcomes (e.g., hospitalization, ... | 2020-09 | 2021-04 |
| 1 |
Engage-COVID-19 - Wave 2
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Information was collected from a survey on-site or online about experiences and risk factors for COVID-19 (history of a COVID-19 diagnosis, related symptoms and outcomes (e.g., hospitalization, ... |
2021-04 | 2021-10 |
Classifications
- Socio-demographic and economic characteristics
- Lifestyle and behaviours
- Birth, pregnancy and reproductive health history
- Perception of health, quality of life, development and functional limitations
- Diseases
- Symptoms and signs
- Medication and supplements
- Non-pharmacological interventions
- Health and community care services utilization
- Death
- Physical measures and assessments
- Laboratory measures
- Cognition, personality and psychological measures and assessments
- Life events, life plans, beliefs and values
- Preschool, school and work life
- Social environment and relationships
- Physical environment
- Administrative information
- Cognitive functioning
- Personality
- Psychological distress and emotions
- Other psychological measures and assessments
Socio-demographic and economic characteristics
Age/birthdate
Sex/gender
Marital/partner status
Family and household structure
Education
Residence
Birthplace
Citizenship and immigrant status
Ethnicity, race and religion
Language
Labour force and retirement
Income, possessions, and benefits
Lifestyle and behaviours
Drugs
Physical activity
Sleep
Sexual behaviours and orientation
Leisure activities
Other and unspecified lifestyle information
Perception of health, quality of life, development and functional limitations
Perception of health
Quality of life
Diseases
Certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)
Neoplasms (C00-D48)
Diseases of the blood and blood-forming organs and certain disorders involving the immune mechanism (D50-D89)
Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E90)
Mental and behavioural disorders (F00-F99)
Diseases of the nervous system (G00-G99)
Diseases of the circulatory system (I00-I99)
Diseases of the respiratory system (J00-J99)
Diseases of the digestive system (K00-K93)
Diseases of the genitourinary system (N00-N99)
Diseases without precise specification or falling into multiple categories
Symptoms and signs
Symptoms and signs involving the circulatory and respiratory systems (R00-R09)
Symptoms and signs involving the digestive system and abdomen (R10-R19)
Symptoms and signs involving nervous and musculoskeletal systems (R25-R29)
Symptoms and signs involving cognition, perception, emotional state and behaviour (R40-R46)
General symptoms and signs (R50-R69)
Symptoms related to multiple categories
Medication and supplements
Medication and supplement intake
Non-pharmacological interventions
Surgical interventions
Educational and health promotion interventions
Laboratory diagnosis interventions
Other and unspecified non-pharmacological interventions
Health and community care services utilization
Visits to health professionals
Hospitalizations
Community and social care
Other health and community care
Laboratory measures
Virology
Cognition, personality and psychological measures and assessments
Psychological distress and emotions
Other psychological measures and assessments
Life events, life plans, beliefs and values
Life events
Beliefs and values
Preschool, school and work life
Preschool life
Work life
Social environment and relationships
Social participation
Social support
Other social environment characteristics
Physical environment
Housing characteristics
Biological exposure
Administrative information
Identifiers
Date and time-related information
Questionnaire and interview-related information
Other administrative information
Psychological distress and emotions
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale