Comparison of Web-Based versus Paper-and-Pencil Administration of the YRBS: Participation, Data Quality, and Perceived Privacy and Confidentiality by Mode of Data Collection

• Activity Number: 19
• Type: Topic Contributed
• Date/Time: Sunday, August 2, 2009 : 2:00 PM to 3:50 PM
• Sponsor: Section on Survey Research Methods
• Author(s): Maxine M. Denniston*+ and Nancy D. Brener and Laura Kann and Danice K. Eaton and Tim McManus and Tonja M. Kyle and Alice M. Roberts and Katherine H. Flint and James G. Ross
• Companies: CDC and CDC and CDC and CDC and CDC and Macro International, Inc. and Macro International, Inc. and Macro International, Inc. and Macro International, Inc.
• Keywords: data quality ; response rate ; web-based administration ; privacy ; anonymity

Abstract

In 2008 CDC conducted a study comparing web-based vs. paper-and-pencil administration of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, a biennial national survey of U.S. high school students that assesses priority health-risk behaviors. Within each of the 85 participating schools, four classrooms were selected and randomly assigned to one of four administration conditions (three web-based, one paper-and-pencil). Findings on data quality and privacy included less missing data for paper-and-pencil administration (1.5% vs. 5.3%, 4.4%, 6.4%; p < .001), less perceived privacy and anonymity among web-based respondents, and a lower response rate for "on your own" web-based administration than for in-class administration by either mode (28.0% vs. 91.2%, 90.1%, 91.4%; p < .001). These findings do not favor use of web-based administration for this survey.