Open AccessAdding Sexual Orientation Questions to Statewide Public Health Surveillance: New Mexico's Experience
Author(s) -
Nicole A. VanKim,
James L. Padilla,
Joseph G. L. Lee,
Adam O. Goldstein
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
american journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.284
H-Index - 264
eISSN - 1541-0048
pISSN - 0090-0036
DOI - 10.2105/ajph.2009.186270
Subject(s) - sexual orientation , public health , ethnic group , orientation (vector space) , demography , race (biology) , behavioral risk factor surveillance system , sexually active , sexual behavior , psychology , medicine , social psychology , environmental health , gerontology , political science , population , sociology , gender studies , nursing , law , geometry , mathematics
We examined refusal rates for sensitive demographic questions to determine whether questions on sexual orientation are too sensitive for routine use on public health surveys. We compared the percentage of active refusals in New Mexico for a sexual orientation question and 6 other sensitive demographic questions. In 2007 and 2008, refusal rates for sexual orientation questions were similar to rates for questions on race/ethnicity and weight and significantly lower than rates for questions on household income. Perceptions that sexual orientation is too controversial a topic to be included on state surveys may be unfounded.