Does interviewer gender influence a mother's response to household surveys about maternal and child health in traditional settings? A qualitative study in Bihar, India.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Two probability surveys, conducted in the same districts of Bihar, India (Aurangabad and Gopalganj) at approximately the same time in 2016 using identical questionnaires and similar survey methods, produced significantly different responses for 37.2% (58/156) of the indicator comparisons. Interviewers for one survey were men while for the other they were women. Respondents were mothers of children aged 0-59 months living in a traditional rural setting. We examined the influence of interviewer gender on mothers' survey responses and their implications for interpreting survey results.

Methods

We used qualitative methods including 10 focus group discussions (FGDs) and 33 in-depth interviews (IDIs) in the same locations as the 2016 surveys. FGD participants were purpo

SUBMITTER: Vollmer N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8208568 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature