Applying open population capture-recapture models to estimate the abundance of injection drug users in Victoria, Canada

摘要

Background: Injection drug users (IDUs) are considered a hidden, hard to reach population that is difficult to measure. Multi-list recapture methods are commonly used to estimate IDU population sizes but do not allow inference on population dynamics. In Victoria, Canada, closed population capture-recapture methods have been used to estimate the abundance of IDUs. In this study, we make use of a newer sample of a survey of IDUs to relax the closure assumption.