Relevance & Research Question
Survey response rate are declining worldwide, particularly among young individuals. This trend is evident in both cross-sectional and longitudinal surveys, such as Understanding Society, where young people exhibit a higher likelihood of either missing waves or dropping out entirely.
This paper aims to explore why young individuals exhibit lower participation rates in Understanding Society. Specifically, we investigate the hypothesis that young people experience more life events such as a change in job, relationship status and a move of house, and it is the occurrence of such life events that are associated with a higher likelihood to not participate in the survey.
Methods & Data
The data source is Understanding Society, a mixed-mode probability-based general population panel study in the UK. We analyze individuals aged 18-44 at Understanding Society's Wave 1, and we follow them until Wave 12. We consider four age groups: 18-24 (youth), 25-31 (early adulthood), 32-38 (late adulthood) and 39-45 middle age (reference group for comparison). In order to study the effect of life events on attrition, we applied the Discrete-Time Multinomial Hazard Model. In this model the time is entered as a covariate and the outcome variable is the survey participation indicator (interview, noncontact, refusals or other). The outcome is modeled as a function of lagged covariates, including demographics, labor market participation, qualifications, household structure and characteristics, marital status and mobility, as well as binary indicators for life event-related status changes.
Results
Consistent with existing literature, our findings reveal that younger respondents, as well as those with an immigration background, lower education, and unemployment status, are less likely to participate. We also demonstrate that changes in job status and relocation contribute particularly to attrition, with age remaining a significant factor.
Added Value
As many household surveys are moving online to save costs, the findings of this study will offer valuable insights for survey organizations. This paper enriches our understanding of youth nonresponse and presents practical strategies for retaining them. This project is funded by the Understanding Society Research Data Fellowship.