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Updated: May 30, 2026

Assessment of Social Interaction Behaviors
Published on: February 25, 2011
Best-friend reports: a tool for measuring the prevalence of sensitive behaviors
Sara Yeatman1, Jenny Trinitapoli
1Department of Health and Behavioral Sciences, University of Colorado Denver, 80217, USA. sara.yeatman@ucdenver.edu
Abstract:
We introduce the best-friend methodology for using surveys to measure the population prevalence of sensitive behaviors. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this tool by comparing self-reports to best-friend reports of sexual behavior and abortion history among young women in Malawi (n = 1493). Best-friend reports reveal higher and more believable estimates of abortion and multiple sexual partners. In contexts in which best friends commonly discuss such behaviors, best-friend reports are an inexpensive and easily implemented tool.
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