Overview: 2017 Kaiser Women’s Health Survey
Summary
The 2017 Kaiser Women’s Health Survey obtained telephone interviews with a nationally representative sample of 2,751 women ages 18 to 64 living in the United States. The survey was designed and analyzed by staff at the Kaiser Family Foundation, and fieldwork was conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International (PSRAI). Interviews were done in English and Spanish by Princeton Data Source LLC from July 26 to September 27, 2017. Interviews were conducted via landline (nLL=963) and cell phone (nC=1,788; including 1,255 without a landline phone). Statistical results are weighted to correct known demographic discrepancies. The margin of sampling error for the complete set of weighted data is ±2.8 percentage points.
Sample Design
A combination of landline and cellular random digit dial (RDD) samples was used to represent all women ages 18 to 64 in the United States who have access to either a landline or cellular telephone. Both samples were provided by Survey Sampling International, LLC (SSI) according to PSRAI specifications. The samples were disproportionately-stratified to reach more low-income women and to increase the incidence of African-American and Latina respondents. To supplement the RDD samples, 188 interviews were completed using callback sample collected from recent PSRAI Omnibus surveys, national general population surveys of 1,000 interviews with adults that are usually fielded every other week.
As many as 7 attempts were made to contact every sampled telephone number. Sample was released for interviewing in replicates, which are representative subsamples of the larger sample. Using replicates to control the release of sample ensures that complete call procedures are followed for the entire sample. Calls were staggered over times of day and days of the week to maximize the chance of making contact with potential respondents. Each phone number received at least one daytime call if needed. Only female interviewers were used on this project. For the landline sample, interviewers first asked to speak with an adult female who was at home and age screening was done on that individual. Once a female was on the phone, they were asked their age and screened accordingly. Females were asked their age and screened accordingly. All eligible women reached on cell phones were offered a post-paid cash reimbursement of $5 to participate in the study.
Weighting and Analysis
Weighting is generally used in survey analysis to adjust for effects of the sample design and to compensate for patterns of nonresponse that might bias results. The weighting was accomplished in multiple stages to account for (a) the disproportionately-stratified samples, (b) the overlapping landline and cell sample frames, (c) household composition, and (d) differential non-response associated with sample demographics. The telephone usage parameter was derived from an analysis of recent national surveys conducted by PSRAI. All other weighting parameters were derived from the Census Bureau’s 2015 American Community Survey (ACS) PUMS data.
The survey’s margin of error is defined as the largest 95% confidence interval for any estimated proportion based on the total sample — the one around 50%. The margin of error for the entire sample of women ages 18-64 is ±2.8 percentage points and +3.8 percentage points for the sample of women ages 18-44. It is important to remember that sampling fluctuations are only one possible source of error in a survey estimate.