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Related Experiment Video

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An Experimental Analysis of Children's Ability to Provide a False Report about a Crime

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Interviewer effects when investigating abuse were not compatible with effect modification but instead with

Sílvia Fraga¹, Raquel Lucas, Diogo Costa

¹Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Predictive Medicine and Public Health, University of Porto Medical School, Al. Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal. silfraga@med.up.pt

Journal of Clinical Epidemiology

|May 9, 2013

Summary

Interviewer variability significantly impacts elder abuse prevalence estimates. Interviewers act as crucial confounders in studies on sensitive topics like elder abuse, affecting associations with other variables.

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Area of Science:

Gerontology
Social Sciences
Public Health

Background:

Estimating elder abuse prevalence is complex.
Interviewer effects can introduce variability in survey data.
Understanding these effects is crucial for accurate research.

Purpose of the Study:

To quantify interviewer-related variability in elder abuse estimates.
To assess how interviewer characteristics influence the association between elder abuse and other factors.

Main Methods:

Face-to-face interviews with 641 Portuguese adults aged 60-84.
Structured questionnaires administered by six intensively trained interviewers.
Analysis of interviewer effects on abuse prevalence and covariate associations.

Main Results:

Overall elder abuse prevalence was 28.1%, with significant variation by interviewer (16.9%–36.8%).
Interviewers did not significantly modify the association between abuse and its determinants.
Interviewers acted as confounders for associations between abuse and sensitive topics like somatic complaints.

Conclusions:

Interviewers are significant confounders in elder abuse research.
While not modifying effects, interviewer variability impacts prevalence estimates.
Careful consideration of interviewer effects is vital for sensitive topic research.