Effects of Presence of Others and Reporting on Sensitive and Attitude Questions in Demographic and Health Surveys Case Study: 2013 Turkey Demographic and Health Survey

Abstract

ABSTRACT Third parties during interviews albeit a common occurrence, it is not widely studied. Literature in this topic is limited and mostly old. As a primary requirement, interviewers are asked to ensure privacy during the interviews. This may not be achieved in some situations and may lead to other people listening in the interview or actively participate in it and this may led to social desirable responding. Using the 2013 Turkish Demography and Health Survey data (TDHS -2013), this study explored factors that predisposes a third party person to be present, effects of their presence and if the type of third party presence elicit different effects. The focus of the TDHS -2013 were women of reproductive age, a total of 9,746 were interviewed. The interviewers were required to mark all the type of third party that were present at the end of the interview, the assumption is that the presence of a third party person was throughout the interview. In modelling the effects, variables selected were assumed to be sensitive or elicit social desirable responding. Descriptive statistics and logistic regressions from the complex sample menu were used for analysis after the necessary recording of variables were done. Findings indicated that marital status and cohabitation duration was significant determinant of third party presence, shorter cohabitation duration increased the odds of having children, respondent’s mother and mother-in-law present. Number of rooms and interview duration increased the odds of having a third party present. The impact of third party presence on selected variables was observed, some variables were affected by third party presence and the direction depended on the type of third party person. The findings reinforces the prerequisite of privacy to be ensured before interviews are conducted and recommends interviewers to be trained on effect of third party presence. Key words: third part presence, socially desirable, sensitive.