NSFG Phase 4 Nonresponse F/U Study, Implemented in Q1&Q2 of 2022

NSFG OMB Attachment D2 OMB No. 0920-0314

NSFG Phase 4 Nonresponse Follow-Up Study,

Implemented in Quarters 1&2 of 2022

The NSFG takes approximately 50 minutes to complete for adult males and 75 minutes for adult females, on average. The survey design includes both web and in-person data collection, as well as multiple phases with incentives to mitigate the impact on survey participation. However, without offering an opportunity to complete a very short survey, the impact of the survey demand on response rates and nonresponse bias would not be known. In addition, such a short survey would also be offered in another mode to further facilitate response by those who have not completed by web or in-person.

The NSFG included such a nonresponse follow-up (NRFU) study as a Phase 4 of data collection in Quarters 1&2 of 2022. Since the survey has a two-stage data collection with nonresponse at each stage—a screener and a main survey—a household and a selected person one-page surveys were designed and implemented. The main objective of the two NRFU surveys was to gain a better understanding of nonignorable nonresponse bias (Rubin, 1976) that cannot be studied without capturing information on sample nonrespondents. That is, the nonresponse bias that is not corrected for through study design or postsurvey adjustments. Additional objectives included eligibility rate adjustments and potential nonresponse bias weighting adjustments.

Table 1 shows the number of mailed and received household and (selected) individual questionnaires, by quarter and combined. The combined return rate for the household NRFU questionnaire was 10% and for the individual NRFU questionnaire was 11%, with little variation across the two quarters. The relatively small sample sizes and modest response rates to the one-page nonresponse follow-up surveys are insufficient for any of the main objectives of the Phase 4 NRFU, yielding 45 completed female NRFU surveys and 32 completed male NRFU surveys. Although Quarters 1&2 of 2022 were smaller than later quarters, there is also little room for substantially scaling up Phase 4, as the 702 main survey nonrespondents represented a census of the main survey nonrespondents in these two quarters. The results will be described in greater detail in the planned nonresponse bias analysis.

Table 1. Phase 4 Household and Selected Individual NRFU Questionnaire Mailouts and Returns, Quarters 1&2 of 2022.

	Quarter 1			Quarter 2			Quarters
	(Mailed June 16th)			(Mailed October 11th)			1&2
	Mailed	Returned	Percent Returned	Mailed	Returned	Percent Returned	Percent Returned
Household Mini Follow-up Questionnaire	676	63	9.3%	497	52	10.5%	9.8%
Household with age-eligible members	-	26	3.8%	-	23	4.6%	4.6%
Household with no age-eligible members	-	37	5.5%	-	29	5.8%	5.6%
Individual Mini Follow-up Questionnaire	262	25	9.5%	440	52	11.8%	11.0%
Female main survey nonrespondents	136	14	10.3%	230	31	13.5%	12.3%
Male main survey nonrespondents	126	11	8.7%	210	21	10.0%	9.5%

References

Rubin, D. B. (1976). "Inference and missing data." Biometrika 63: 581-592.



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