Lisa Ripper1, Samantha Ciaravino2, Kelley Jones2, Maria Catrina D Jaime2, Elizabeth Miller2. 1. Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Electronic address: Lisa.ripper@chp.edu. 2. Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Research on sensitive and private topics relies heavily on self-reported responses. Social desirability bias may reduce the accuracy and reliability of self-reported responses. Anonymous surveys appear to improve the likelihood of honest responses. A challenge with prospective research is maintaining anonymity while linking individual surveys over time. METHODS: We have tested a secret code method in which participants create their own code based on eight questions that are not expected to change. RESULTS: In an ongoing middle school trial, 95.7% of follow-up surveys are matched to a baseline survey after changing up to two-code variables. The percentage matched improves by allowing up to four changes (99.7%). CONCLUSIONS: The use of a secret code as an anonymous identifier for linking baseline and follow-up surveys is feasible for use with adolescents. While developed for violence prevention research, this method may be useful with other sensitive health behavior research.
PURPOSE: Research on sensitive and private topics relies heavily on self-reported responses. Social desirability bias may reduce the accuracy and reliability of self-reported responses. Anonymous surveys appear to improve the likelihood of honest responses. A challenge with prospective research is maintaining anonymity while linking individual surveys over time. METHODS: We have tested a secret code method in which participants create their own code based on eight questions that are not expected to change. RESULTS: In an ongoing middle school trial, 95.7% of follow-up surveys are matched to a baseline survey after changing up to two-code variables. The percentage matched improves by allowing up to four changes (99.7%). CONCLUSIONS: The use of a secret code as an anonymous identifier for linking baseline and follow-up surveys is feasible for use with adolescents. While developed for violence prevention research, this method may be useful with other sensitive health behavior research.
Authors: Elizabeth Miller; Kelley A Jones; Lisa Ripper; Taylor Paglisotti; Paul Mulbah; Kaleab Z Abebe Journal: JAMA Pediatr Date: 2020-03-01 Impact factor: 16.193
Authors: Robert W S Coulter; Sharon Colvin; Lindsay R Onufer; Glynis Arnold; Thomas Akiva; Eric D'Ambrogi; Vanessa Davis Journal: J Educ Teach Date: 2020-12-01
Authors: Elizabeth Miller; Kelley A Jones; Alison J Culyba; Taylor Paglisotti; Namita Dwarakanath; Michael Massof; Zoe Feinstein; Katie A Ports; Dorothy Espelage; Julie Pulerwitz; Aapta Garg; Jane Kato-Wallace; Kaleab Z Abebe Journal: JAMA Netw Open Date: 2020-12-01