IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/vrs/offsta/v35y2019i4p807-833n6.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Asking about Sexual Identity on the National Health Interview Survey: Does Mode Matter?

Author

Listed:
  • Dahlhamer James M.

    (National Center for Health Statistics, Division of Health Interview Statistics, Hyattsville, Mayland, U.S.A.)

  • Galinsky Adena M.

    (National Center for Health Statistics, Division of Health Interview Statistics, Hyattsville, Mayland, U.S.A.)

  • Joestl Sarah S.

    (RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California, U.S.A.)

Abstract

Privacy, achieved through self-administered modes of interviewing, has long been assumed to be a necessary prerequisite for obtaining unbiased responses to sexual identity questions due to their potentially sensitive nature. This study uses data collected as part of a split-ballot field test embedded in the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to examine the association between survey mode (computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) versus audio computer-assisted self-interviewing (ACASI)) and sexual minority identity reporting. Bivariate and multivariate quantitative analyses tested for differences in sexual minority identity reporting and non-response by survey mode, as well as for moderation of such differences by sociodemographic characteristics and interviewing environment. No significant main effects of interview mode on sexual minority identity reporting or nonresponse were found. Two significant mode effects emerged in subgroup analyses of sexual minority status out of 35 comparisons, and one significant mode effect emerged in subgroup analyses of item nonresponse. We conclude that asking the NHIS sexual identity question using CAPI does not result in estimates that differ systematically and meaningfully from those produced using ACASI.

Suggested Citation

  • Dahlhamer James M. & Galinsky Adena M. & Joestl Sarah S., 2019. "Asking about Sexual Identity on the National Health Interview Survey: Does Mode Matter?," Journal of Official Statistics, Sciendo, vol. 35(4), pages 807-833, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:vrs:offsta:v:35:y:2019:i:4:p:807-833:n:6
    DOI: 10.2478/jos-2019-0034
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.2478/jos-2019-0034
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.2478/jos-2019-0034?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nick Drydakis, 2019. "Sexual orientation and labor market outcomes," IZA World of Labor, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), pages 111-111, July.
    2. Jaya & Hindin, M.J. & Ahmed, S., 2008. "Differences in young people's reports of sexual behaviors according to interview methodology: A randomized trial in India," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 98(1), pages 169-174.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Roland Pongou & Roberto Serrano, 2009. "A dynamic theory of fidelity networks with an application to the spread of HIV/AIDS," Working Papers 2009-03, Instituto Madrileño de Estudios Avanzados (IMDEA) Ciencias Sociales.
    2. Nick Drydakis, 2019. "School‐Age Bullying, Workplace Bullying and Job Satisfaction: Experiences of LGB People in Britain," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 87(4), pages 455-488, July.
    3. Jing Wang & Morley Gunderson & David Wicks, 2018. "The Earnings Effect of Sexual Orientation: British Evidence from Worker‐Firm Matched Data," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 56(4), pages 744-769, December.
    4. Drydakis, Nick & Zimmermann, Klaus F., 2020. "Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Labour Market Outcomes: New Patterns and Insights," GLO Discussion Paper Series 627, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    5. Sudhanshu Handa & Carolyn Tucker Halpern & Audrey Pettifor & Harsha Thirumurthy, 2014. "The Government of Kenya's Cash Transfer Program Reduces the Risk of Sexual Debut among Young People Age 15-25," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(1), pages 1-9, January.
    6. Haoran He & Sherry Xin Li & Yuling Han, 2023. "Labor Market Discrimination against Family Responsibilities: A Correspondence Study with Policy Change in China," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 41(2), pages 361-387.
    7. John Levendis & Aaron Lowen, 2023. "What Same-Sex Adoption Laws Can Tell Us About the Gender Wage Gap in the United States," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 44(2), pages 473-489, June.
    8. Nick Drydakis, 2022. "Sexual orientation discrimination in the labor market against gay men," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 1027-1058, September.
    9. Gouveia, Filipe & Nilsson, Therese & Berggren, Niclas, 2020. "Religiosity and discrimination against same-sex couples: The case of Portugal's rental market," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).
    10. Vivo, Sigrid & McCoy, Sandra I. & López-Peña, Paula & Muñoz, Rodrigo & Larrieu, Monica I. & Celhay, Pablo, 2017. "How accurate is our misinformation? A randomized comparison of four survey interview methods to measure risk behavior among young adults in the Dominican Republic," Development Engineering, Elsevier, vol. 2(C), pages 53-67.
    11. Michelle Poulin, 2010. "Reporting on first sexual experience," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 22(11), pages 237-288.
    12. Drydakis, Nick, 2021. "The Economics of Being LGBT. A Review: 2015-2020," GLO Discussion Paper Series 980, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    13. Karel Fric, 2019. "How does being out at work relate to discrimination and unemployment of gays and lesbians?," Journal for Labour Market Research, Springer;Institute for Employment Research/ Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), vol. 53(1), pages 1-19, December.
    14. Cullen,Claire Alexis, 2020. "Method Matters : Underreporting of Intimate Partner Violence in Nigeria and Rwanda," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9274, The World Bank.
    15. Miriam Marcén & Marina Morales, 2022. "The effect of same-sex marriage legalization on interstate migration in the USA," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 35(2), pages 441-469, April.
    16. Nick Drydakis, 2022. "Sexual orientation and earnings: a meta-analysis 2012–2020," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 35(2), pages 409-440, April.
    17. Claire Cullen, 2023. "Method Matters: The Underreporting of Intimate Partner Violence," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 37(1), pages 49-73.
    18. Nancy Luke & Shelley Clark & Eliya Zulu, 2011. "The Relationship History Calendar: Improving the Scope and Quality of Data on Youth Sexual Behavior," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 48(3), pages 1151-1176, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:vrs:offsta:v:35:y:2019:i:4:p:807-833:n:6. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Peter Golla (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.sciendo.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.