Measuring sexual orientation in adolescent health surveys: evaluation of eight school-based surveys.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the performance of various items measuring sexual orientation within 8 school-based adolescent health surveys in the United States and Canada from 1986 through 1999.


METHODS
Analyses examined nonresponse and unsure responses to sexual orientation items compared with other survey items, demographic differences in responses, tests for response set bias, and congruence of responses to multiple orientation items; analytical methods included frequencies, contingency tables with Chi-square, and ANOVA with least significant differences (LSD)post hoc tests; all analyses were conducted separately by gender.


RESULTS
In all surveys, nonresponse rates for orientation questions were similar to other sexual questions, but not higher; younger students, immigrants, and students with learning disabilities were more likely to skip items or select "unsure." Sexual behavior items had the lowest nonresponse, but fewer than half of all students reported sexual behavior, limiting its usefulness for indicating orientation. Item placement in the survey, wording, and response set bias all appeared to influence nonresponse and unsure rates.


CONCLUSIONS
Specific recommendations include standardizing wording across future surveys, and pilot testing items with diverse ages and ethnic groups of teens before use. All three dimensions of orientation should be assessed where possible; when limited to single items, sexual attraction may be the best choice. Specific wording suggestions are offered for future surveys.
Saewyc
Elizabeth M
EM
Center for Adolescent Nursing, School of Nursing, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. saewyc@nursing.ubc.ca
Bauer
Greta R
GR
Skay
Carol L
CL
Bearinger
Linda H
LH
Resnick
Michael D
MD
Reis
Elizabeth
E
Murphy
Aileen
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002170:Canada; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003625:Data Collection; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013334:Students / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D035501:Uncertainty; D014481:United States