Accuracy of Self-Report Measures of Sexual Behaviors Among Middle School Students: Association Between Lying on Surveys and Peer Norms

Introduction: Self-report measures are the predominant method for measuring adolescents’ sexual behaviors, yet their accuracy depends on a variety of factors, including: 1) normative perceptions regarding the behavior being measured (i.e., normative beliefs); 2) ability to understand questions; and 3) motivation to complete surveys accurately. The first may be especially important in influencing adolescents’ reporting of sensitive sexual behaviors. The purpose of this study is to gain insight into ways to improve the accuracy of adolescents’ self-reported sexual behaviors by exploring associations between normative beliefs and lying on an outcome survey for a trial of an HIV/STI/pregnancy prevention program for middle school (MS) students. Other characteristics of students who reported lying on survey questions also are examined.

Methods: Data for this study are from the baseline survey of an evaluation of a MS prevention program (N=913). Students were asked several questions about their honesty on the survey in general and on sexual behavior questions in particular. Associations between measures of lying on the survey, demographic variables, sexual experience, and normative beliefs about peers’ sexual behaviors were examined using odds ratios. Logistic regression was used to examine which factors were most strongly associated with lying.  

Results: More than 27% of MS students reported lying on at least some of the questions on the survey. More than 40% reported believing that at least some of their closest friends had already had sex, while 9% of students reported ever having had sex. The factor most strongly associated with lying on the survey was normative beliefs about peers’ sexual behaviors. Students who thought that at least some of their closest friends had already had sex were more than twice as likely to have lied on some questions (OR=2.47, CI=1.74, 3.50) and over 6 times as likely to have lied about how far they had gone sexually (OR=6.70, CI=3.58, 12.65) compared to students who did not think their peers were sexually active.

Conclusions: Consistent with the literature, distortions in MS students’ normative beliefs about peers’ sexual behaviors were high. The significant association between normative beliefs and lying on the survey suggest correcting normative beliefs, a strategy used to reduce risk behaviors, is also critical for improving the accuracy of self-report measures of sexual behaviors; indeed, the two are intertwined given assessment of intervention effectiveness depends on the accuracy of outcome measures. The results also suggest that innovative survey administration strategies using targeted messaging to students with distorted normative beliefs might reduce the incidence of lying, thereby increasing measurement accuracy.