Dataset Information

Assessing recall bias and measurement error in high-frequency social data collection for human-environment research.

ABSTRACT: A major impediment to understanding human-environment interactions is that data on social systems are not collected in a way that is easily comparable to natural systems data. While many environmental variables are collected with high frequency, gridded in time and space, social data is typically conducted irregularly, in waves that are far apart in time. These efforts typically engage respondents for hours at a time, and suffer from decay in participants' ability to recall their experiences over long periods of time. Systematic use of mobile and smartphones has the potential to transcend these challenges, with a critical first step being an evaluation of where survey respondents experience the greatest recall decay. We present results from, to our knowledge, the first systematic evaluation of recall bias in components of a household survey, using the Open Data Kit (ODK) platform on Android smartphones. We tasked approximately 500 farmers in rural Bangladesh with responding regularly to components of a large household survey, randomizing the frequency of each task to be received weekly, monthly, or seasonally. We find respondents' recall of consumption and experience (such as sick days) to suffer much more greatly than their recall of the use of their households' time for labor and farm activities. Further, we demonstrate a feasible and cost-effective means of engaging respondents in rural areas to create and maintain a true socio-economic "baseline" to mirror similar efforts in the natural sciences.

SUBMITTER: Bell A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7745111 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Assessing recall bias and measurement error in high-frequency social data collection for human-environment research.

Bell Andrew A Ward Patrick P Tamal Md Ehsanul Haque MEH Killilea Mary M

Population and environment 20190207

A major impediment to understanding human-environment interactions is that data on social systems are not collected in a way that is easily comparable to natural systems data. While many environmental variables are collected with high frequency, gridded in time and space, social data is typically conducted irregularly, in waves that are far apart in time. These efforts typically engage respondents for hours at a time, and suffer from decay in participants' ability to recall their experiences ove ...[more]

PMID: 33487786

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Project description:BackgroundUnderstanding measurement error in sodium and potassium intake is essential for assessing population intake and studying associations with health outcomes.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to compare sodium and potassium intake derived from 24-h dietary recall (24HDR) with intake derived from 24-h urinary excretion (24HUE).DesignData were analyzed from 776 nonpregnant, noninstitutionalized US adults aged 20-69 y who completed 1-to-2 24HUE and 24HDR measures in the 2014 NHANES. A total of 1190 urine specimens and 1414 dietary recalls were analyzed. Mean bias was estimated as mean of the differences between individual mean 24HDR and 24HUE measurements. Correlations and attenuation factors were estimated using the Kipnis joint-mixed effects model accounting for within-person day-to-day variability in sodium excretion. The attenuation factor reflects the degree to which true associations between long-term intake (estimated using 24HUEs) and a hypothetical health outcome would be approximated using a single 24HDR: values near 1 indicate close approximation and near 0 indicate bias toward null. Estimates are reported for sodium, potassium, and the sodium: potassium (Na/K) ratio. Model parameters can be used to estimate correlations/attenuation factors when multiple 24HDRs are available.ResultsOverall, mean bias for sodium was -452 mg (95% CI: -646, -259), for potassium -315 mg (CI: -450, -179), and for the Na/K ratio -0.04 (CI: -0.15, 0.07, NS). Using 1 24HDR, the attenuation factor for sodium was 0.16 (CI: 0.09, 0.21), for potassium 0.25 (CI:0.16, 0.36), and for the Na/K ratio 0.20 (CI: 0.10, 0.25). The correlation for sodium was 0.27 (CI: 0.16, 0.37), for potassium 0.35 (CI: 0.26, 0.55), and for the Na/K ratio 0.27 (CI: 0.13, 0.32).ConclusionsCompared with 24HUE, using 24HDR underestimates mean sodium and potassium intake but is unbiased for the Na/K ratio. Additionally, using 24HDR as a measure of exposure in observational studies attenuates the true associations of sodium and potassium intake with health outcomes.

Dataset Information

Assessing recall bias and measurement error in high-frequency social data collection for human-environment research.

Publications

Assessing recall bias and measurement error in high-frequency social data collection for human-environment research.

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