Does Survey Mode Make Differences? A Comparative Evaluation of the Department of Defense Survey of Health-Related Behaviors and the U.S. Air Force Community Assessment Survey

• Activity Number: 242
• Type: Contributed
• Date/Time: Monday, August 1, 2011 : 2:00 PM to 3:50 PM
• Sponsor: Section on Survey Research Methods
• Author(s): Zhiwei Zhang*+
• Companies: ICF International
• Keywords: military survey ; mixed-mode ; web survey ; substance use ; mental health ; DOD

Abstract

For three decades, the US Department of Defense (USDOD) has collected health related information through the Survey of Health Related Behaviors (HRB)among Military Personnel. For two decades, the US Air Force (USAF) has conducted the Air Force Community Assessment (AFCA)Survey. Through both surveys, estimates of a variety of behavioral and health related outcomes have been obtained to support top level policy makings and assess military readiness. These estimates have been compared across different service types and between military and civilian populations, but seldom across different surveys in different data collection modes for the same military populations at the same time. This study examines the extents that alcohol and drug use and suicidality prevalence rates may differ in different surveys and whether these possible differences are systematic, using the survey data of the 28,000 service members (including 7,000 air force active duty personnel) across 64 military installations worldwide collected primarily through on-site group sessions and from 80,000 Air Force active duty members across all major air force commands globally collected via web survey.