An assessment of the effect of data collection setting on the prevalence of health risk behaviors among adolescents

Kann, Laura; Brener, Nancy D; Warren, Charles W; Collins, Janet L; Giovino, Gary A

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Volume 31, Issue 4 , Pages 327-335, October 2002

An assessment of the effect of data collection setting on the prevalence of health risk behaviors among adolescents

Laura Kann, Ph.D.
- Address correspondence to: Dr. Laura Kann, Division of Adolescent and School Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mailstop K-33, 4770 Buford Highway NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30341
- Division of Adolescent and School Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (L.K., N.D.B.), Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Nancy D Brener, Ph.D.
- Division of Adolescent and School Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (L.K., N.D.B.), Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Charles W Warren, Ph.D.
- Office on Smoking and Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (C.W.W.), Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Janet L Collins, Ph.D.
- National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (J.L.C.), Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Gary A Giovino, Ph.D.
- Roswell Park Cancer Institute (G.A.G.), Buffalo, New York, USA

Accepted 30 August 2001.

Abstract

Purpose: To examine the effect of data collection setting on the prevalence of priority health risk behaviors among adolescents.

Methods: Analyses were conducted using data from two national probability surveys of adolescents, the 1993 national school-based Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and the 1992 household-based National Health Interview Survey (NHIS/YRBS). Forty-two items were worded identically on both surveys.

Results: Thirty-nine of the 42 identically worded items (93%) showed that the YRBS produced estimates indicating higher risk than the NHIS. Twenty-four of these comparisons yielded statistically significant differences. The prevalence estimates affected most were those for behaviors that are either illegal or socially stigmatized.

Conclusions: School-based surveys produce higher prevalence estimates for adolescent health risk behaviors than do household-based surveys. Each has advantages and disadvantages, and both can play a role in assessing these behaviors.

Keywords: Adolescent behavior, Data collection, Health behavior, Health surveys, Questionnaires