Asking difficult questions: design and implementation of an audio computer-assisted self-interview (ACASI) in the Young Lives study

This technical note outlines the design and implementation of audio computer-assisted self-interviews (ACASI) in the Young Lives study. ACASI was introduced for the first time during Round 7 data collection in India and Ethiopia to gather sensitive information related to substance use, sexual and reproductive health, attitudes towards sensitive issues and personal experiences of various forms of violence in low-literacy contexts. In Ethiopia, the method also enabled the collection of highly sensitive data on the impact of the armed conflict that began at the end of 2020. ACASI allowed participants to privately listen to pre-recorded questions through headphones, featuring gender-matched speakers, and respond by selecting coloured shapes corresponding to the answer options on a tablet screen. The module was conducted in three languages (Amharic, Tigrinya and Oromo) in Ethiopia and in Telugu in India. Overall, ACASI was implemented successfully in Round 7. The average duration of the ACASI module was 21 minutes in Ethiopia and 19 minutes in India, while completion rates were 95.8% in Ethiopia and 97.7% in India, based on the total interview sample, due to a few cases of ineligibility and refusal. Among those who completed ACASI, non-response rates across most sections ranged from 4.2% to 9% in Ethiopia and from 4.9% to 12.9% in India. Higher non-response rates were observed only for questions on particularly sensitive topics in India – for instance, attitudes towards abortion (21.4%) and the LGBTQ+ community (34.8%).