"Are You a Boy or a Girl?"-A Missing Response Analysis

• Main Authors: Andreas Heinz (Author), András Költő (Author), Ashley B. Taylor (Author), Ace Chan (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: MDPI AG, 2023-10-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 10.3390/children10101695; 2227-9067
• Keywords: gender; sex; non-response; survey methodology; LGBTQ; gender non-conforming; Pediatrics; RJ1-570
• Source: Children, Vol 10, Iss 10, p 1695 (2023)

Many adolescent health surveys ask if respondents are male or female. Non-response may be due to fear of de-anonymisation or being a gender-nonconforming youth. The present study investigates the frequency of non-response and its potential reasons. To this end, data from 54,833 adolescents aged 11-18 from six countries, participating in the 2018 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study, were analysed. Respondents were divided into three groups: (1) "Responders" who answered both questions on age and gender, (2) "Age non-responders" who did not answer the question on age, and (3) "Gender non-responders" who answered the question on age but not the one on gender. These groups were compared regarding their non-response to other questions and regarding their health. Overall, 98.0% were responders, 1.6% were age non-responders and 0.4% were gender non-responders. On average, age non-responders skipped more questions (4.2 out or 64) than gender non-responders (3.2) and responders (2.1). Gender non-responders reported more psychosomatic complaints, more frequent substance use and lower family support than responders. This study shows that age and gender non-responders differ in their response styles, suggesting different reasons for skipping the gender question. The health disparities found between the groups suggest that further research should use a more nuanced approach, informed by LGBT+ youth's insights, to measure sex assigned at birth and gender identity.