Examining the Impact of Question Construction on Reporting of Sexual Identity: Survey Experiment Among Young Adults
BackgroundCompared with heterosexuals, sexual minorities in the United States experience a higher incidence of negative physical and mental health outcomes. However, a variety of measurement challenges limit researchers’ ability to conduct meaningful survey research to unders...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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JMIR Publications
2021-12-01
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| Series: | JMIR Public Health and Surveillance |
| Online Access: | https://publichealth.jmir.org/2021/12/e32294 |
| _version_ | 1797735478128017408 |
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| author | William J Young Michelle T Bover Manderski Ollie Ganz Cristine D Delnevo Mary Hrywna |
| author_facet | William J Young Michelle T Bover Manderski Ollie Ganz Cristine D Delnevo Mary Hrywna |
| author_sort | William J Young |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
BackgroundCompared with heterosexuals, sexual minorities in the United States experience a higher incidence of negative physical and mental health outcomes. However, a variety of measurement challenges limit researchers’ ability to conduct meaningful survey research to understand these disparities. Despite the prevalence of additional identities, many national health surveys only offer respondents 3 substantive options for reporting their sexual identities (straight/heterosexual, gay or lesbian, and bisexual), which could lead to measurement error via misreporting and item nonresponse.
ObjectiveThis study compared the traditional 3-option approach to measuring sexual identity with an expanded approach that offered respondents 5 additional options.
MethodsAn online survey experiment conducted among New Jersey residents between March and June 2021 randomly assigned 1254 young adults (ages 18-21) to answer either the 3-response measure of sexual identity or the expanded item. Response distributions for each measure were compared as were the odds of item nonresponse.
ResultsThe expanded version of the question appeared to result in more accurate reporting among some subgroups and induced less item nonresponse; 12% (77/642) of respondents in the expanded version selected a response that was not available in the shorter version. Females answering the expanded item were less likely to identify as gay or lesbian (2.1% [10/467] vs. 6.6% [30/457]). Females and Non-Hispanic Whites were slightly more likely to skip the shorter version than the longer version (1.1% [5/457 for females and 3/264 for Non-Hispanic Whites] vs. 0% [0/467 for females and 0/277 for Non-Hispanic Whites]). About 5% (32/642) of respondents answering the longer item were unsure of their sexual identity (a similar option was not available in the shorter version). Compared with respondents answering the longer version of the question, those answering the shorter version had substantially greater odds of skipping the question altogether (odds ratio 9.57, 95% CI 1.21-75.74; P=.03).
ConclusionsResults favor the use of a longer, more detailed approach to measuring sexual identity in epidemiological research. Such a measure will likely allow researchers to produce more accurate estimates of health behaviors and outcomes among sexual minorities. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T12:59:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-86074987a01042b5ba257e46c37e8f0f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2369-2960 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T12:59:37Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | JMIR Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | JMIR Public Health and Surveillance |
| spelling | doaj.art-86074987a01042b5ba257e46c37e8f0f2023-08-28T20:00:16ZengJMIR PublicationsJMIR Public Health and Surveillance2369-29602021-12-01712e3229410.2196/32294Examining the Impact of Question Construction on Reporting of Sexual Identity: Survey Experiment Among Young AdultsWilliam J Younghttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-8051-6327Michelle T Bover Manderskihttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-0000-221XOllie Ganzhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-7933-8463Cristine D Delnevohttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-9597-4307Mary Hrywnahttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-0717-9598 BackgroundCompared with heterosexuals, sexual minorities in the United States experience a higher incidence of negative physical and mental health outcomes. However, a variety of measurement challenges limit researchers’ ability to conduct meaningful survey research to understand these disparities. Despite the prevalence of additional identities, many national health surveys only offer respondents 3 substantive options for reporting their sexual identities (straight/heterosexual, gay or lesbian, and bisexual), which could lead to measurement error via misreporting and item nonresponse. ObjectiveThis study compared the traditional 3-option approach to measuring sexual identity with an expanded approach that offered respondents 5 additional options. MethodsAn online survey experiment conducted among New Jersey residents between March and June 2021 randomly assigned 1254 young adults (ages 18-21) to answer either the 3-response measure of sexual identity or the expanded item. Response distributions for each measure were compared as were the odds of item nonresponse. ResultsThe expanded version of the question appeared to result in more accurate reporting among some subgroups and induced less item nonresponse; 12% (77/642) of respondents in the expanded version selected a response that was not available in the shorter version. Females answering the expanded item were less likely to identify as gay or lesbian (2.1% [10/467] vs. 6.6% [30/457]). Females and Non-Hispanic Whites were slightly more likely to skip the shorter version than the longer version (1.1% [5/457 for females and 3/264 for Non-Hispanic Whites] vs. 0% [0/467 for females and 0/277 for Non-Hispanic Whites]). About 5% (32/642) of respondents answering the longer item were unsure of their sexual identity (a similar option was not available in the shorter version). Compared with respondents answering the longer version of the question, those answering the shorter version had substantially greater odds of skipping the question altogether (odds ratio 9.57, 95% CI 1.21-75.74; P=.03). ConclusionsResults favor the use of a longer, more detailed approach to measuring sexual identity in epidemiological research. Such a measure will likely allow researchers to produce more accurate estimates of health behaviors and outcomes among sexual minorities.https://publichealth.jmir.org/2021/12/e32294 |
| spellingShingle | William J Young Michelle T Bover Manderski Ollie Ganz Cristine D Delnevo Mary Hrywna Examining the Impact of Question Construction on Reporting of Sexual Identity: Survey Experiment Among Young Adults JMIR Public Health and Surveillance |
| title | Examining the Impact of Question Construction on Reporting of Sexual Identity: Survey Experiment Among Young Adults |
| title_full | Examining the Impact of Question Construction on Reporting of Sexual Identity: Survey Experiment Among Young Adults |
| title_fullStr | Examining the Impact of Question Construction on Reporting of Sexual Identity: Survey Experiment Among Young Adults |
| title_full_unstemmed | Examining the Impact of Question Construction on Reporting of Sexual Identity: Survey Experiment Among Young Adults |
| title_short | Examining the Impact of Question Construction on Reporting of Sexual Identity: Survey Experiment Among Young Adults |
| title_sort | examining the impact of question construction on reporting of sexual identity survey experiment among young adults |
| url | https://publichealth.jmir.org/2021/12/e32294 |
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