Response behavior patterns among youth

Abstract

In 2023, the Italian National Institute of Statistics conducted the second edition of the survey on behaviours, attitudes and future plans of children and young people, addressed to 107,635 boys and girls, between 11 and 19 years old, resident in Italy. Building on the previous experience, innovations were fielded in the data collection methods, including improvements in the questionnaire’s design. To meet the needs of young respondents, a streamlined, short, easy to answer, and responsive questionnaire was designed. We analysed data on sampling units who accessed and submitted the questionnaire and those who accessed but did not submit it to identify different response behaviour patterns among youth. First, we analysed how many times the sampling units tried to access the questionnaire, by which device and mode (by scanning the QR Code or entering the website address), and where they stopped filling in the questionnaire. Then, we studied partial non responses to non-mandatory questions – i.e. if respondents preferred not to answer when they were not obliged to do it. Finally, we applied a logistic regression model to identify the determinants of the youngers propensity to submit the questionnaire. The findings provided useful insights on the design of web questionnaires targeting young respondents.