Polling booth surveys: A novel approach for reducing social desirability bias in HIV-related behavioural surveys in resource-poor settings

Catherine Lowndes; A. A. Jayachandran; Pradeep Banandur; Banadakoppa M. Ramesh; Reynold Washington; B. M. Sangameshwar; Stephen Moses; James Blanchard; Michel Alary

doi:10.1007/s10461-011-0004-1

Polling booth surveys: A novel approach for reducing social desirability bias in HIV-related behavioural surveys in resource-poor settings

Catherine Lowndes^*, A. A. Jayachandran, Pradeep Banandur, Banadakoppa M. Ramesh, Reynold Washington, B. M. Sangameshwar, Stephen Moses, James Blanchard, Michel Alary

^*Corresponding author for this work

Public Health England

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

32 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This study compared rates of HIV-related sexual risk behaviours reported in individual face-to-face (FTFI) and group anonymous polling booth (PBS) interviews in India. In PBS, respondents grouped by gender and marital status answered yes/no questions by putting tokens with question numbers in colour-coded containers. Data were subsequently collated for each group as a whole, so responses were not traceable back to individuals. Male and female PBS participants reported substantially higher rates of pre-marital, extra-marital, commercial and anal sex than FTFI participants; e.g. 11 vs. 2% married males reported paying for sex; 6 vs. 1% unmarried males reported homosexual anal sex.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1054-1062
Number of pages	9
Journal	AIDS and Behavior
Volume	16
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-011-0004-1
Publication status	Published - May 2012

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Acknowledgments This research was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The polling booth survey methodology was developed in India by Catalyst Management Services and Mahila Samakhya Karnataka.

Keywords

HIV
India
Interviewing techniques
Sexual behaviour
Social desirability bias
Survey methodologies

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1007/s10461-011-0004-1

Cite this

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title = "Polling booth surveys: A novel approach for reducing social desirability bias in HIV-related behavioural surveys in resource-poor settings",

abstract = "This study compared rates of HIV-related sexual risk behaviours reported in individual face-to-face (FTFI) and group anonymous polling booth (PBS) interviews in India. In PBS, respondents grouped by gender and marital status answered yes/no questions by putting tokens with question numbers in colour-coded containers. Data were subsequently collated for each group as a whole, so responses were not traceable back to individuals. Male and female PBS participants reported substantially higher rates of pre-marital, extra-marital, commercial and anal sex than FTFI participants; e.g. 11 vs. 2% married males reported paying for sex; 6 vs. 1% unmarried males reported homosexual anal sex.",

keywords = "HIV, India, Interviewing techniques, Sexual behaviour, Social desirability bias, Survey methodologies",

author = "Catherine Lowndes and Jayachandran, {A. A.} and Pradeep Banandur and Ramesh, {Banadakoppa M.} and Reynold Washington and Sangameshwar, {B. M.} and Stephen Moses and James Blanchard and Michel Alary",

note = "Funding Information: Acknowledgments This research was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The polling booth survey methodology was developed in India by Catalyst Management Services and Mahila Samakhya Karnataka.",

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doi = "10.1007/s10461-011-0004-1",

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AU - Jayachandran, A. A.

AU - Banandur, Pradeep

AU - Ramesh, Banadakoppa M.

AU - Washington, Reynold

AU - Sangameshwar, B. M.

AU - Moses, Stephen

AU - Blanchard, James

AU - Alary, Michel

N1 - Funding Information: Acknowledgments This research was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The polling booth survey methodology was developed in India by Catalyst Management Services and Mahila Samakhya Karnataka.

PY - 2012/5

Y1 - 2012/5

N2 - This study compared rates of HIV-related sexual risk behaviours reported in individual face-to-face (FTFI) and group anonymous polling booth (PBS) interviews in India. In PBS, respondents grouped by gender and marital status answered yes/no questions by putting tokens with question numbers in colour-coded containers. Data were subsequently collated for each group as a whole, so responses were not traceable back to individuals. Male and female PBS participants reported substantially higher rates of pre-marital, extra-marital, commercial and anal sex than FTFI participants; e.g. 11 vs. 2% married males reported paying for sex; 6 vs. 1% unmarried males reported homosexual anal sex.

AB - This study compared rates of HIV-related sexual risk behaviours reported in individual face-to-face (FTFI) and group anonymous polling booth (PBS) interviews in India. In PBS, respondents grouped by gender and marital status answered yes/no questions by putting tokens with question numbers in colour-coded containers. Data were subsequently collated for each group as a whole, so responses were not traceable back to individuals. Male and female PBS participants reported substantially higher rates of pre-marital, extra-marital, commercial and anal sex than FTFI participants; e.g. 11 vs. 2% married males reported paying for sex; 6 vs. 1% unmarried males reported homosexual anal sex.

KW - HIV

KW - India

KW - Interviewing techniques

KW - Sexual behaviour

KW - Social desirability bias

KW - Survey methodologies

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DO - 10.1007/s10461-011-0004-1

M3 - Review article

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AN - SCOPUS:84863719131

SN - 1090-7165

VL - 16

SP - 1054

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JO - AIDS and Behavior

JF - AIDS and Behavior

IS - 4

ER -

Polling booth surveys: A novel approach for reducing social desirability bias in HIV-related behavioural surveys in resource-poor settings

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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