Adolescent Sexual Behavior, Drug Use, and Violence: Increased Reporting with Computer Survey Technology

TLDR

Surveys of adolescent risk behaviors are limited by respondents’ reluctance to disclose sensitive or illegal actions. The study compared audio‑computer‑assisted self‑interviewing to a conventional questionnaire among 1,690 adolescent males in the 1995 National Survey of Adolescent Males. Audio‑CASI produced prevalence estimates three‑fold or greater for male‑male sex, injection drug use, and contact with IV drug users, and increased reporting of several other risk behaviors.

Abstract

Surveys of risk behaviors have been hobbled by their reliance on respondents to report accurately about engaging in behaviors that are highly sensitive and may be illegal. An audio computer-assisted self-interviewing (audio-CASI) technology for measuring those behaviors was tested with 1690 respondents in the 1995 National Survey of Adolescent Males. The respondents were randomly assigned to answer questions using either audio-CASI or a more traditional self-administered questionnaire. Estimates of the prevalence of male-male sex, injection drug use, and sexual contact with intravenous drug users were higher by factors of 3 or more when audio-CASI was used. Increased reporting was also found for several other risk behaviors.