Applications of Capture-Recapture method for estimating the population size of injecting drug users in a city / 中华疾病控制杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To study the application of Capture-Recapture method in estimating the size of population of injecting drug users (IDUs), and estimate the size of population in IDUs in a city using the data of detoxification center. Methods Capture-Recapture method was applied to estimating the size of population in IDUs in the city based on the data of detoxification center. Results The result of Capture-Recapture in estimating the IDUs in the city was 13 017. Conclusions It is economic and feasible to estimate the size of population in IDUs by applying the Capture-Recapture method. The result is reliable and the method is suitable in districts where health resources are limited.