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Danice K. Eaton, PhD, MPH, Richard Lowry, MD, MS, Nancy D. Brener, PhD, Jo Anne Grunbaum, EdD, and Laura Kann, PhD. Division of Adolescent and School Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy NE, MS K-33, Atlanta, GA 30341, 770-488-6143, dhe0@cdc.gov
Parental permission for school-based survey research may be active or passive. Active permission requires written parental permission before a child can participate. Passive permission requires written parental permission only if parents do not wish for their child to participate. Previous research has shown use of active permission is associated with low response rates and sample bias because students who receive active permission may be less likely to engage in risky behaviors than those who do not. This study investigated whether type of parental permission affects prevalence estimates for risk behaviors from the national 2001 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Participants included 13,195 students from 143 schools, of which 65% used passive permission and 35% active permission. Student participation rates were 86.7% in passive permission schools and 77.3% in active permission schools. Schools using passive permission did not differ significantly from schools using active permission in terms of metropolitan status, socio-economic status, type (public/private), percentage of non-Hispanic white students, or enrollment size. Students did not differ by type of permission in terms of sex, race/ethnicity, or grade. Using logistic regression controlling for student and school characteristics, type of permission was associated with only one of 26 risk behaviors. Students who received active permission were less likely to eat 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day (AOR=0.84, 95% CI=0.72-0.98) than students who received passive permission. As long as high response rates are obtained, type of parental permission does not affect prevalence estimates for risk behaviors that are based on self-report.
Learning Objectives: Learning Objectives
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.