Response Rates and Couple Type in the U.S. Army Family Research Program Survey: A Research Note

Abstract

Data from 7,792 marred soldiers who participated in the 1989 Army Family Research Program survey were analyzed for the effects of age, rank, racial background, geographic location, gender, separation from spouse, marital stability, number of children, dual military status, and satisfaction with the Army on spouses' response rates. All factors were significant except age and number of children. Overall, the most important factor was rank, with 58% of the spouses of officers responding compared to only 35% of the spouses of enlisted personnel. Spouses who were civilians, females, living with their soldiers in the United States, whose marriages were stable and who were married to white soldiers or officers were more likely to have responded to the spouses' survey. While the average response rate for spouses was 42.1%, it was nearly 68% among the civilian female spouses living together in the United States in stable marriages with officers who were very satisfied with Army life ( n = 367). In contrast, response rates were only 20% among the dual military husbands of female enlisted wives ( n = 364).