Survey Mode and Rates of Smoke-Free Homes and Support for Smoking Bans Among Single Parents in the United States in 2010–2011 and 2014–2015

Abstract

National surveys are commonly used to monitor the rates of smoke-free homes and public attitudes toward smoking bans. This study explores the difference in the estimates corresponding to two survey modes—personal interviews and phone interviews—among single-parent households. Data from the Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey administered in 2010–2011 and 2014–2015 were used in a stratified fashion. The rate of smoke-free homes was lower for personal interviews (79% in 2010–2011 and 82% in 2014–2015) than for phone interviews (85% in 2010–2011 and 90% in 2014–2015). Even after controlling for several factors, personal interviews corresponded to lower odds of having a smoke-free home relative to phone interviews (odds ratio [OR] = 0.7, confidence interval [CI] = 0.6–0.9, in 2010–11; OR = 0.5, CI = 0.4–0.6, in 2014–15). The survey mode should be included in the analyses when estimating the rates of smoke-free homes and other smoking-related attitudes, because different survey modes could be associated with different response biases.