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

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 demograp...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Population studies 2021-09, Vol.75 (3), p.363-380
Main Authors: Treleaven, Emily, Pham, Toan Ngoc, Nguyen, Anh Duy, Diamond-Smith, Nadia
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
abortion
Abortion, Eugenic
Abortion, Induced
Child
Female
Humans
Infant, Newborn
measurement
Parity
Pregnancy
Sex Preselection
sex selection
Sexual Behavior
son preference
Vietnam
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Summary: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.
ISSN:0032-4728
1477-4747
DOI:10.1080/00324728.2021.1900589