@article{TEXTUAL,
      recid = {5957},
      author = {Moseson, Heidi and Jayaweera, Ruvani and Huber-Krum, Sarah  and Garver, Sarah and Norris, Alison and Gerdts, Caitlin},
      title = {Reducing underreporting of abortion in surveys: Results  from two test applications of the list experiment method in  Malawi and Senegal},
      journal = {PLOS ONE},
      address = {2021-03-3},
      number = {TEXTUAL},
      abstract = {&lt;p&gt;Background: Accurately measuring abortion incidence  poses many challenges. The list experiment is a method  designed to increase the reporting of sensitive or  stigmatized behaviors in surveys, but has only recently  been applied to the measurement of abortion. To further  test the utility of the list experiment for measuring  abortion incidence, we conducted list experiments in two  countries, over two time periods.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Materials and  methods: The list experiment is an indirect method of  measuring sensitive experiences that protects respondent  confidentiality by hiding individual responses to a binary  sensitive item (i.e., abortion) by combining this response  with answers to other non-sensitive binary control items.  Respondents report the number of list items that apply to  them, not which ones. We conducted a list experiment to  measure cumulative lifetime incidence of abortion in  Malawi, and separately to measure cumulative five-year  incidence of abortion in Senegal, among cisgender women of  reproductive age.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Results: Among 810 eligible  respondents in Malawi, list experiment results estimated a  cumulative lifetime incidence of abortion of 0.9% (95%CI:  0.0, 7.6). Among 1016 eligible respondents in Senegal, list  experiment estimates indicated a cumulative five-year  incidence of abortion of 2.8% (95%CI: 0.0, 10.4) which,  while lower than anticipated, is seven times the proportion  estimated from a direct question on abortion (0.4%).&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p&gt;Conclusions: Two test applications of the list  experiment to measure abortion experiences in Malawi and  Senegal likely underestimated abortion incidence. Future  efforts should include context-specific formative  qualitative research for the development and selection of  list items, enumerator training, and method delivery to  assess if and how these changes can improve method  performance.&lt;/p&gt;},
      url = {http://knowledge.uchicago.edu/record/5957},
}