Expansion of formalized in-home services for Japan's aged

This article analyzes the social and political forces in Japan that led to the creation of the Gold Plan, a comprehensive national plan for formalized in-home services for the aged. The political strategies of the Gold Plan are examined from the following perspectives: (1) shifts from institutional to in-home services, (2) decentralization of in-home services policy, and (3) needs for expanding the number of in-home service workers. New nonprofit organizations called Resident-Participation Types (RPTs) are identified, which are self-help organizations to augment the delivery of in-home services to the aged. The current status of these new models for the aged are examined, using data from two different surveys conducted by the Japanese National Council of Social Welfare in 1992 and 1993. Finally, future issues regarding RTPs and in-home services for the aged and some policy recommendations are discussed.     

Expansion of Formalized In-Home Services for Japan's Aged

This article analyzes the social and political forces in Japan that led to the creation of the Gold Plan, a comprehensive national plan for formalized in-home services for the aged. The political strategies of the Gold Plan are examined from the following perspectives: (1) shifts from institutional to in-home services, (2) decentralization of in-home services policy, and (3) needs for expanding the number of in-home service workers. New nonprofit organizations called Resident- Participation Types (RPTs) are identified, which are self-help organizations to augment the delivery of in-home services to the aged. The current status of these new models for the aged are examined, using data from two different surveys conducted by the Japanese National Council of Social Welfare in 1992 and 1993. Finally, future issues regarding RTPs and in-home services for the aged and some policy recommendations are discussed.     

Setting priorities in aging populations: formal service use among Mexican American female elders

This study establishes empirical patterns of formal service use by a sample of 483 elderly Mexican American women, and identifies the predictors of formal service utilization. Results indicated two patterns of service use-in the home and at senior centers. Regression analysis demonstrated that the best predictors of who used formal in-home services were those with functional impairment in Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) and those with the least amount of assistance with IADLs provided by family members. Living alone and attending group social events were the best predictors of the use of senior center services. Anticipated changes in the Mexican American population portend a growing need for both in-home and senior center services. These findings can be used to establish policy and programming priorities for this neglected population. If resources are to be effectively targeted to frail elders, in-home services should receive priority, and the provision of in-home services should be modified to include additional programs that facilitate care of the elderly by the family.     

Do you believe that others are more positional than you? Results from an empirical survey on positional concerns in France

We explore empirically the relevance of positional concerns in France. Unlike previous literature, we use two types of surveys, one addressed to a convenience sample, and the other to a random sample of French households living in the metropolitan area of Montpellier. Surveys are composed of a set of hypothetical questions related to several domains (income, education, vacation time, etc.). We also investigate whether individuals consider themselves more or less positional than others in society. Moreover, a set of variables that could potentially explain why people give positional answers is considered, such as being positional on a domain in which the individual excels. In addition to more conventional findings, we show that (i) the percentage of positional answers for each domain is about the same in the random and convenience samples, (ii) people consider others as more positional than themselves, and (iii) excelling in a given domain is not necessarily a good predictor of positional preferences in this domain.     

Late-Life Depression,Social Support,Instrumental Activities of Daily Living,and Utilization of In-Home and Community-Based Services in Older Adults

This study examined the relationship between social support, depression, instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), and utilization of in-home and community-based services. The sample included 39 adults age 65 years old and older. The data were collected by distributing a self-administered questionnaire. Depression levels significantly decreased as levels of social support increased. IADLs functioning significantly decreased as depression levels increased. The number of in-home services used significantly increased as IADLs functioning decreased. The number of community-based services used significantly increased as depression levels decreased. The number of in-home and community-based services used significantly increased as levels of support decreased.     

Effects of Category Order on Answers in Mail and Telephone Surveys1

Abstract Past research suggests that mail surveys encourage a primacy effect, which is a tendency to choose the first answers from a list, whereas telephone surveys encourage a recency effect, a tendency to choose the last answers from a list. This paper summarizes results from 82 new experiments conducted in 12 separate surveys in seven states. Only four of 33 mail survey comparisons exhibited significant primacy effects, while five of 26 experiments in telephone surveys exhibited recency effects. In addition, only three of 23 cross-method comparisons produced a significant primacy/recency effect in the expected manner. The conclusion is that the prevalence of primacy and recency effects has been over-estimated by past research and a new theoretical approach that takes into account multiple causation is needed for examining these effects.     

Web survey design and administration.

Many claims are being made about the advantages of conducting surveys on the Web. However, there has been little research on the effects of format or design on the levels of unit and item response or on data quality. In a study conducted at the University of Michigan, a number of experiments were added to a survey of the student population to assess the impact of design features on resulting data quality. A sample of 1,602 students was sent an e-mail invitation to participate in a Web survey on attitudes toward affirmative action. Three experiments on design approaches were added to the survey application. One experiment varied whether respondents were reminded of their progress through the instrument. In a second experiment, one version presented several related items on one screen, while the other version presented one question per screen. In a third experiment, for one series of questions a random half of the sample clicked radio buttons to indicate their answers, while the other half entered a numeric response in a box. This article discusses the overall implementation and outcome of the survey, and it describes the results of the imbedded design experiments.     

Presentation matters: how mode effects in item non-response depend on the presentation of response options

Comparability of data across modes is an important issue in survey research. In this paper we discuss item non-response to attitudinal questions in telephone and web surveys. We present results from a survey experiment conducted in Italy and in Spain that compares different presentations of response options in an online setting with a benchmark telephone survey. In line with earlier studies we find that (A), the share of non substantial answers in the online survey depends on how the response option is presented. Comparing different presentations in an online survey to the standard approach of telephone surveys using propensity score matching, we find that (B), the share and pattern of non substantial answers, is most similar across the two modes in the online survey when the it is captured in an instruction on each screen for the online survey. Our findings are of particular relevance for the design of multiple mode or mix-mode surveys of attitudinal questions using online and telephone modes.     

Mental health outcomes among child welfare investigated children: In-home versus out-of-home care

BackgroundChild welfare has increasingly focused on alternatives to out-of-home (OOH) placement. In-home services, such as parent training, have increased and more maltreated children remain in-home. Yet, little is known about the effect on mental health of maintaining vulnerable children in-home vs placement in stable OOH care.ObjectiveTo evaluate and compare difference in mental health among children investigated by child welfare and who remained in-home vs. those who were placed in stable OOH care.Design/methodsWe examined a cohort of children (aged 1.5–18 years) from a nationally representative sample of children investigated by child welfare using the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being II (NSCAW II). We compared changes in mental health functioning over 18 months for children who remained in-home with parent training versus those placed in stable OOH care.ResultsAmong the 749 children in our sample, baseline characteristics of children who remained in-home with parent training and those placed in stable OOH care were similar. Among school-aged children placed in stable OOH care, mental health problems decreased from 26% to 13% (p = .003). This differed significantly from school-aged children who remained in home, for whom mental health problems increased (50% decrease stable OOH care vs. 23% increase in home; p = .007). Among pre-school aged children, mental health problems increased in both settings, particularly stable out-of-home care (p = .008).ConclusionsFor school aged children with a history of maltreatment, mental health outcomes improve following stable OOH placement, yet worsen when remaining in-home with parents. Pediatricians should be watchful for mental health problems among children who remain home after maltreatment and should advocate for high-quality stable OOH care when it is necessary. Child welfare may need to monitor the outcomes of children remaining at home more closely and provide more intensive preventive and treatment services to families.     

The Influence of Graphical and Symbolic Language Manipulations on Responses to Self-Administered Questions

This article reports results from 14 experimental comparisonsdesigned to test 7 hypotheses about the effects of two typesof nonverbal languages (symbols and graphics) on responses toself-administered questionnaires. The experiments were includedin a survey of 1,042 university students. Significant differenceswere observed for most comparisons, providing support for allseven hypotheses. These results support the view that respondents’answers to questions in self-administered surveys are influencedby more than words. Thus, the visual presentation of questionsmust be taken into consideration when designing such surveysand, especially, when comparing results across surveys in whichthe visual presentation of questions is varied.     

Assimilation and Contrast Effects in General/Specific Questions1

Abstract Data from five surveys that included specific and general questions on a similar topic are examined. Results suggest that when specific and general questions are paired in surveys, significant patterns will appear. In each of the five studies, correlations between pairs of questions were significantly different when the general followed the specific item compared with the general/specific order. But there was no consistent pattern of assimilation (answers to second item agree with the first) or contrast (response to second question opposite that of the first). One study showed clear evidence of assimilation; the other four showed varying degrees of contrast effects.     

Straightening the Seam Effect in Panel Surveys

Panel surveys, such as the Survey of Income and Program Participationand the Consumer Expenditure Survey, interview respondents every3 or 4 months, but ask the respondents for monthly data. A typicalfinding in such surveys is that changes in responses to a questionare relatively small for adjacent months within a referenceperiod but much more abrupt for adjacent months across referenceperiods. Previous studies have attributed this "seam effect"either to underreporting of changes within the periods or tooverreporting of changes across them. In the present studies,we attempt to distinguish these possibilities, using an experimentalmethod that allows us to gauge respondents' accuracy as wellas the number of times they change their answers. The studiesproduced seam effects and accompanying evidence for forgettingof queried information and bias toward constant responses withinthe reference period. In general, seam effects appear to increaseas a function of the demands on memory. We also find that separatingquestions with the same content in the survey instrument decreasesthe seam effect. To account for these data, we propose a modelin which respondents' answers are initially based on attemptedmemory retrieval. Inability to recall leads to (possibly biased)guessing or subsequent repetition of an earlier answer.     

Promoting birth parents' relationships with their toddlers upon reunification: Results from Promoting First Relationships® home visiting program

Birth parents, once reunified with their child after a foster care placement, are in need of in-home support services to prevent reoccurrence of maltreatment and reentry into foster care, establish a strong relationship with their child, and enhance child well-being. Few studies have addressed the efficacy of home visiting services for reunified birth parents of toddlers. This study reports on the findings from a randomized control trial of a 10-week home visiting program, Promoting First Relationships® (Kelly, Sandoval, Zuckerman, & Buehlman, 2008), for a subsample of 43 reunified birth parents that were part of the larger trial. We describe how the elements of the intervention align with the needs of parents and children in child welfare. Although the sample size was small and most of the estimates of intervention effects were not statistically significant, the effect sizes and the pattern of results suggest that the intervention may have improved both observed parenting sensitivity and observed child behaviors as well as decreased parent report of child behavior problems. Implications are that providing in-home services soon after a reunification may be efficacious in strengthening birth parents' capacity to respond sensitively to their children as well as improving child social and emotional outcomes and well-being.     

Survey research with preliterate adult populations in post conflict situations using researcher-assisted self-completion questionnaires

This paper presents an innovative and effective approach for conducting surveys with preliterate adults in a context of limited infrastructure in post conflict Burundi, Africa. We conducted surveys with parents/carers of children with a disability and community members, as a component of mixed methods research with children and adults to provide baseline data for Handicap International in developing programs to prevent sexual abuse among children with a disability. To meet the challenges of conducting surveys on the sensitive topic in such field conditions, we developed specifically adapted researcher-assisted self-completion questionnaires (RASCQ) using images and verbal guidance. RASCQ allowed researchers to provide respondents with supports needed to complete surveys and the privacy and confidentiality needed to encourage honest answers. This paper discusses the development process, details of survey implementation, and quality of data obtained. RASCQ proposed in the current study can be used in various studies with marginalised groups and people in developing countries.     

Attitudes towards foreigners and Jews in Germany: identifying the determinants of xenophobia in a large opinion survey

The ultimate aim of opinion surveys is the provision of information on the distribution of preferences and perceptions at the individual level. Yet, eliciting this information from the data is typically difficult. This paper uses a structural model to explain the answers on a set of questions regarding the perception of foreigners and Jews by native Germans. In this model it is assumed that in addition to observable individual characteristics there exists an underlying unobserved attitude towards minorities which drives the distribution of answers by native respondents. This latent variable in turn is assumed to be influenced by a set of observable socio-economic characteristics of the individuals. In order to estimate this model it is necessary to impose strong identification restrictions. Estimation results show that education is the key correlate of the perception of foreigners and Jews in Germany.     

The Impact of In-Home Services Utilization on the Institutionalization of Older People in Korea

As a result of aging populations, institutionalization of older people is creating an increasing financial burden in many countries. The purpose of the present study was to explore the impact of in-home service utilization on institutionalization. The subjects were newly certified as eligible for long-term care insurance between January and February 2009 in Korea. The follow-up period was 40 months, to April 2012. We used logistic regression models to identify factors influencing the transition to institutional service, adjusting for gender, age, living status, income level, activities of daily living, and chronic disease. The institutionalization rate was estimated to be 17.3% over 40 months. The interval from transitional living to institutionalization was 36 ± 8 months. Risk factors of transition to institutional services are being female, having advanced age, living with friends or cousins, getting dementia, and not using in-home services. We determined that institutionalization is mitigated by use of in-home services. Therefore, supplying appropriate in-home services to current nonusers would help to greatly reduce the rate of institutionalization of older people.     

Helping Respondents Get It Right the First Time: The Influence of Words, Symbols, and Graphics in Web Surveys

We utilize and apply visual design theory to experimentallytest ways to improve the likelihood that web respondents reportdate answers in a particular format desired by the researcher,thus reducing possible deleterious effects of error messagesor requests for corrections. These experiments were embeddedin a series of web surveys of random samples of university students.We seek to examine the sequential and cumulative effects ofvisually manipulating the size and proximity of the answer spaces,the use of symbols instead of words, the verbal language ofthe question stem, and the graphical location of the symbolicinstruction. Our results show that the successive series ofvisual language manipulations improve respondents’ useof the desired format (two digits for the month and four digitsfor the year) from 45 percent to 96 percent. These results suggestthat writing effective questions for web surveys may dependas much or more on the presentation of the answer categories/spacesas the question wording itself.     

TAXES AND EXPENDITURES IN THE U.S.: PUBLIC OPINION SURVEYS AND INCIDENCE ANALYSIS COMPARED

The usefulness of surveys for eliciting fiscal opinions of voters is investigated. Using data from the U.S. Advisory Commission in Intergovernmental Relations annual surveys of attitude toward government and taxes, the survey responses are related to economic and political factors and the survey results compared to those predicted by incidence analysis. The results from this analysis and a review of previous studies of this type suggest that there is often no consistent economic foundation for answers to fiscal survey questions. It also appears that some standard survey questions are too general to produce precise estimates of the factors influencing responses.     

Action-oriented evaluation of an in-home family therapy program for families at risk for foster care placement

The purpose of this study was to conduct an action-oriented evaluation of an in-home family therapy program serving families deemed at risk for the placement of children in foster care. In this study, feedback was solicited from both clients and therapists. Results indicate "duality" associated with several aspects of in-home family therapy, including the opportunity to observe families in their own homes versus the vulnerability some families feel when therapy is conducted in-home; therapists suggesting that sufficient training is required for in-home family therapy to be effective versus clients' opinions that therapists' lived experiences are more relevant; and the importance of the therapeutic alliance versus feelings of abandonment upon termination. Implications for researchers and practitioners are discussed.     

An experiment to test the feasibility and quality of a web-based questionnaire of teachers

The use of web-based surveys to gather information from teachers has become increasingly common primarily based on the premise that they can reduce costs. Yet, relatively, little is known about the quality or cost effectiveness of web-based versus mail surveys for teachers. To study the efficacy of web-based teacher surveys, the author randomly assigned a nationally representative sample of 877 elementary school teachers to a paper or web survey mode. The cost savings from the web administration were not enough to offset the loss of sample due to missing/inaccurate email addresses and the lower response rates that resulted from the web survey.