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. 2015 Summer;27(2):244-263.
doi: 10.1093/ijpor/edu024.

Sources of Interactional Problems in a Survey of Racial/Ethnic Discrimination

Timothy P Johnson  1 , Salma Shariff-Marco  2 , Gordon Willis  3 , Young Ik Cho  4 , Nancy Breen  3 , Gilbert C Gee  5 , Nancy Krieger  6 , David Grant  7 , Margarita Alegria  8 , Vickie M Mays  9 , David R Williams  10 , Hope Landrine  11 , Benmei Liu  12 , Bryce B Reeve  13 , David Takeuchi  14 , Ninez A Ponce  5
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Sources of Interactional Problems in a Survey of Racial/Ethnic Discrimination

Timothy P Johnson et al. Int J Public Opin Res. 2015 Summer.

Abstract

Cross-cultural variability in respondent processing of survey questions may bias results from multiethnic samples. We analyzed behavior codes, which identify difficulties in the interactions of respondents and interviewers, from a discrimination module contained within a field test of the 2007 California Health Interview Survey. In all, 553 (English) telephone interviews yielded 13,999 interactions involving 22 items. Multilevel logistic regression modeling revealed that respondent age and several item characteristics (response format, customized questions, length, and first item with new response format), but not race/ethnicity, were associated with interactional problems. These findings suggest that item function within a multi-cultural, albeit English language, survey may be largely influenced by question features, as opposed to respondent characteristics such as race/ethnicity.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Adjusted probability of having any respondent behavior problem by selected respondent and question characteristics
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