# Presentation: 382745

**MEC Interview:**
**Measuring Sensitive Behaviors**

**Debra Brody, MPH, Geraldine McQuillan, PhD, **
**Benny Kottiri, PhD, Elizabeth Hintz, MS**

**Centers for Disease Control and Prevention**
**National Center for Health Statistics**

**	**

**Notes:**
The NHANES laboratory component is coordinated by a small group of people:  Brenda Lewis runs the day-to day activities from the NCHS side; Dave Lacher is our pathologist who is in charge of the quality control of the laboratory data ad Qiyuan Pan is our data management specialist.  Barbara Lindstrum from Westat  is in charge of the NHANES laboratory filed staff    

## Understanding relationships between behavior and disease outcomes
Modeling estimates of risk
Evaluating prevention programs

- Modeling estimates of risk
- Evaluating prevention programs

**Impact of complete reporting of ****sensitive behaviors**

- OB142S002

## Two bilingual interviewers per team
Two computer-based interview modes:

Interview time: 10 – 30 minutes

- Two computer-based interview modes:
- Interview time: 10 – 30 minutes

** ****Overview**

- Personal interview (CAPI)
- Self-administered interview (A-CASI)

- OB142S003

## MEC Interview : Three sections

- Current health status, health behaviors, and reproductive health history
- Mental health assessments
- Risk behaviors and other sensitive topics

- OB142S004

## Current health status and behavior

- Recent illness, quality of life (12+)
- Incontinence (20-59)
- Tobacco use past 5 days (20+)
- Alcohol use (20+)
- Reproductive health (females 12+)
- Physical Activity (12-15)

- OB142S005

## 20-39 years (1/2 sample)
Panic disorder
Generalized anxiety disorder
Major depression

- Panic disorder
- Generalized anxiety disorder
- Major depression

**Mental health assessments:****Composite International Diagnostic ****Interview (CIDI)**

- OB142S006

## Mental health assessments:Diagnostic Interview Schedule forChildren (DISC IV)

- Based on DSM IV/ ICD-10
- Ages 8 – 19 years
- Youth informant (in-person)
- Parent informant (telephone)

- OB142S007

## Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC) Modules

**Youth modules**

**Parent modules**

- Depression
- Eating
- Conduct
- Panic
- GAD

- Depression
- Eating
- Conduct
- Elimination
- ADHD

- OB142S008

## Audio Computer Assisted Self-Interview (A-CASI)

- Questions simultaneously seen and heard
- Greater privacy than face-to-face interview
- Multilingual administration possible
- Literacy issues minimized

- OB142S009

## NHANES A-CASI topics

- Youth conduct disorder (12-19 years)
- Alcohol use (12-19 years)
- Tobacco use (12-19 years)
- Drug abuse (12-59 years)
- Sexual behavior (14-59 years)
- Men’s health (18+ years)

- OB142S010

##  A-CASI screen  

** ****A-CASI screen****  **

##  A-CASI non-response screen  

- You did not answer the previous question.  Was it because:

- You really meant to answer?
- You prefer not to answer?
- You don’t know the answer?

- OB142S011

## Non-response:  Male-to-male sex

**CAPI vs. A-CASI**

**NHANES 1988-94**

**NHANES 1999-00**

- Refused 5%
- Don’t know 3%

- Refused <1%
- Don’t know <1%

- OB142S012

## Summary

- Expansion of sensitive risk behavior questions in NHANES
- Improved accuracy of reporting with A-CASI approach

- Minimizes item non-response
- Reduces underreporting

- OB142S013