The list experiment: An approach to measuring stigmatized behaviours related to sex-selective abortion

Emily Treleaven, Toan Ngoc Pham, Anh Duy Nguyen and Nadia Diamond-Smith

Population Studies, 2021, vol. 75, issue 3, 363-380

Abstract: Vietnam reports one of the highest levels of abortion globally and an increasingly skewed sex ratio at birth. Abortion and related stigmatized behaviours are notoriously difficult to measure, yet understanding women’s ability and willingness to engage in sex selection is of interest to demographers and policymakers alike. We piloted the list experiment, an indirect questioning method, to estimate the prevalence of prenatal sex determination and sex-selective abortion. Respondents reported the total number of items they had engaged in from a list, reducing non-response and incentives to under-report. Among 900 women sampled at two hospitals in Hanoi, we estimated a high prevalence of prenatal sex determination. We found a low prevalence of sex-selective abortion, but higher prevalence among specific parity and children’s sex composition subgroups. Responses to knowledge and attitudinal questions underscored women’s perceived stigma around sex-selective abortion, suggesting the list experiment is a potentially useful tool for studying son preference.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1080/00324728.2021.1900589

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