Comparison of abortion incidence estimates derived from direct survey questions versus the list experiment among women in Ohio
Open Access
- 3 June 2022
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Public Library of Science (PLoS) in PLOS ONE
- Vol. 17 (6), e0269476
- https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0269476
Abstract
Abortion is highly stigmatized in the United States which prevents its accurate measurement in surveys. The list experiment aims to improve the reporting of abortion history. We evaluated whether a list experiment resulted in higher reporting of abortion experiences than did two direct questions. Utilizing data from a representative survey of adult women of reproductive age in Ohio, we examined abortion history using two direct questions and a double list experiment. Through the double list experiment, we asked respondents to report how many of two lists of health items they had experienced; one list included abortion. We compared weighted history of abortion between these measures and by respondent demographic characteristics (age and socioeconomic status). Estimates of abortion history were similar between direct and list experiment questions. When measured with the two different direct question of abortion history, 8.4% and 8.0% of all respondents indicated ever having an abortion and with the list experiment, 8.5% indicated ever having an abortion. In a Midwestern state-level survey, the list experiment did not lead to increases in abortion reporting as compared to the direct questions. Subgroup analyses require larger samples, and future iterations should incorporate related but non-stigmatized control items to reduce misclassification and under-powering of such subgroup analyses.Keywords
Funding Information
- Philanthropic foundation
This publication has 25 references indexed in Scilit:
- Population Group Abortion Rates and Lifetime Incidence of Abortion: United States, 2008–2014American Journal of Public Health, 2022
- The List Experiment for Measuring Abortion: What We Know and What We NeedStudies in Family Planning, 2017
- Alternative Estimates of Lifetime Prevalence Of Abortion from Indirect Survey Questioning MethodsPerspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 2016
- Reducing under-reporting of stigmatized health events using the List Experiment: results from a randomized, population-based study of abortion in LiberiaInternational Journal of Epidemiology, 2015
- What Can We Learn with Statistical Truth Serum?Public Opinion Quarterly, 2013
- Stigma, Abortion, and Disclosure—Findings from a Qualitative StudyThe Journal of Sexual Medicine, 2012
- Correlates of perceived and internalized stigma among abortion patients in the USA: An exploration by race and Hispanic ethnicityInternational Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 2012
- Social stigma and disclosure about induced abortion: Results from an exploratory studyGlobal Public Health, 2011
- Abortion Stigma: A Reconceptualization of Constituents, Causes, and ConsequencesWomen's Health Issues, 2011
- Conceptualising abortion stigmaCulture, Health & Sexuality, 2009