Time of the Year and "Don't Know" Responses to the Annual Household Income Question

• Activity Number: 242
• Type: Contributed
• Date/Time: Tuesday, August 5, 2003 : 10:30 AM to 12:20 PM
• Sponsor: Section on Survey Research Methods
• Author(s): Wei Yen*+ and Charles A. DiSogra and Jenny Chia and Rong Huang
• Companies: University of California, Los Angeles and University of California, Los Angeles and University of California, Los Angeles and University of California, Los Angeles
• Keywords: annual household income ; BRFSS ; CHIS ; item nonresponse ; response quality ; time of interview

Abstract

Annual household income (AHHINC) is a common item collected in population-based surveys and it has the largest item nonresponse rate. This study examines whether time of the year of interview has an effect on the quality of responses to AHHINC in surveys that are administered over a year. The focus of this examination is the prevalence of "Don't Know" responses to AHHINC. When answering the AHHINC question, respondents usually use a reference point, such as the previous calendar year or the current yea. For most Americans, the W-2 form that usually arrives in January and the April 15 tax return date of each tear serve as convenient prompts of their AHHINC. This study uses data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey and the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) to test the hypothesis that respondents interviewed in the early part of the year are less likely to answer the AHHINC question with the "Don't Know" response than those interviewed at other times of the year. BRFSS and CHIS are chosen for this study for their large sample size, their similarities in the AHHINC question, and their duration of administration.