June 10 -- The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), invites public comments by August 9, 2021 on its proposed reinstatement of the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) for 2022-2024.
The NSFG is designed to provide nationally representative, scientifically credible data on factors related to birth and pregnancy rates, family formation and dissolution patterns, and reproductive health. The NSFG was conducted periodically between 1973 and 2002, continuously in 2006-2010, and after a break of 15 months, continuously in 2011-2019, by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS/CDC).
The NSFG program produces descriptive statistics which document factors associated with birth and pregnancy rates, including contraception, infertility, marriage, cohabitation, and sexual activity, in the US household population 15-49 years (15-44 prior to 2015), as well as behaviors that affect the risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STD). The survey also disseminates statistics on the medical care associated with contraception, infertility, pregnancy, and related health conditions.
Intended use of the resulting data: Supplementing and complementing data from birth certificates on factors that affect birth and pregnancy rates, such as sexual activity, contraception, marriage and cohabitation, and infertility. Providing estimates of behavioral and demographic factors associated with reproductive health and use of related health services. Disseminating statistics on adoption and other aspects of family formation.
Methods to be used to collect: Multi-stage probability-based sample of respondents drawn from the U.S. household population. As part of multi-phase, multi-mode design, online surveys conducted via the web using a standardized, programmed questionnaire that includes more sensitive survey content. In-person interviews conducted by trained interviewers using a standardized, programmed questionnaire, including a self-interview component for the more sensitive survey content.
Subpopulation to be studied: Males and females aged 15-49 in the U.S. household population, with special attention to substantively significant differences by key demographics such as age, race and Hispanic origin, marital or cohabiting status, education, and poverty level income.
How data will be analyzed: The primary dissemination plan is to release public-use NSFG data files and related documentation for general use in program planning and multi-disciplinary research. Descriptive and analytic reports will also be produced by survey staff, using statistical techniques appropriate for the analysis of complex, cross-sectional survey data.
The NSFG collects the following information from a national sample of men and women 15-49 years of age:
• Demographic characteristics including age, marital status, educational attainment, religious affiliation, and labor force participation;
• Births and pregnancies (had, from women; or fathered, from men);
• Marriage and cohabitation (current and past);
• Contraceptive methods used currently and in the past;
• Use of medical care for contraception, infertility, and reproductive health;
• Attitudes about marriage, children, and parenting;
• From men, father involvement in raising their children.
In the final section of the survey, which is self-administered for those respondents who complete the earlier sections with an interviewer in person, data are collected on potentially more sensitive topics, including substance use, adverse childhood events, sexual behavior other than vaginal intercourse, same-sex sexual activity, sexual identity, and income.
On an annual basis, up to 13,500 persons may complete a household screener interview yielding 7,800 households with an eligible respondent aged 15-49. From these households, about 5,000 respondents will complete a main interview: 2,750 females and 2,250 males. The mean interview length is estimated to be 75 minutes for females and 50 minutes for males. The NSFG selects a random 10% sub-sample of the cases completed by each interviewer (both screener and main interview) to be rechecked using a brief interview to verify the completeness and accuracy of the interviewer’s work. This results in roughly 1,350 of the respondents to the screener interview and 500 respondents to the main survey being re-contacted by telephone for a short (2-minutes for screener and 5-minutes for main) verification interview. The response rate during the 2011-2019 data collection period ranged from 64.5% to 74.0%, and the cumulative response rate for this eight-year fieldwork period was 67.7%.
NSFG website:
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nsfg/index.htm
2022-2024 NSFG proposal, with technical documentation:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/pyrji9k5w8cd2hh/AABjryqmF1-fbd72rL6RQIWCa?dl=0
FR notice inviting public comments:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/06/10/2021-12210/proposed-data-collections-submitted-for-public-comment-and-recommendations
Point of contact: Anjani Chandra, Ph.D., Principal Investigator and Team Lead, National Survey of Family Growth Team, Division of Vital Statistics/Reproductive Statistics Branch, CDC/National Center for Health Statistics 301-458-4138 achandra@cdc.gov
