Findings From Consumer Survey
Background
Once data on Native Hawaiian children and their families were obtained
through literature searches, agency reports, and census information, the
study required further information on the quality and types of services
available to this population in communities throughout the State. Two
surveys were designed to gather the additional information: a
Consumer
Survey and a
Service Provider Survey. These instruments provided
information on the perceptions of community representatives and service
providers based on the four major influences on child development during
the first five years of life: family, parenting, health, and early care
and education. This section presents information relating to the
Consumer Survey.
Goal
The goal of the Consumer Survey was to gather information on consumers'
perceptions of the services they receive from programs located in their
communities.
Method
Survey respondents were community members living or working with Native
Hawaiian children in the State of Hawai'i. The State is divided into ten
areas, as determined by Ho'owaiwai Na Kamali'i:
- Two counties (Maui and Kaua'i),
- Hawai'i County-East,
- Hawai'i County-West, and
- Six moku on O'ahu -
'Ewa/Wahiawa, Honolulu (Kona), Ko'olau Loa, Ko'olau Poko, Waialua, and
Wai'anae.
The Consumer Survey consisted of 35 questions: 29 items that used a
5-point rating scale and 6 open-ended items. For the 5-point rating
scale, the response choices were (1) Strongly Disagree, (2) Disagree,
(3) Neutral, (4) Agree, and (5) Strongly Agree.
The design plan called for facilitators to collect the survey data
through individual interviews and focus groups. If the sampling
methodology had been adhered to, there would have been 120 completed
Consumer Surveys (12 surveys x 10 county or moku = 120 surveys).
A minimum of 12 surveys were to be completed from each moku/county,
including surveys from 3 to 6 unlicensed/ informal 'ohana care
providers, 6 family members (if both parents of one child were present,
their input was to be combined into one survey), and 3 to 6 kumu/ kupuna
(from halau hula, churches, canoe paddlers, Hawaiian language).
During the course of data collection, however, a total of 604 surveys
were received Statewide, which consisted of:
- 364 family members,
- 144 kumu/kupuna,
- 94 'ohana childcare providers, and
- 2 unknown
In order to report Statewide results that were not biased by the
differing numbers of respondents from the various moku/counties, which
variation was not at all related to differences in population size, a
randomly selected sample of responses was selected for the State
analyses. This sample consisted of 12 respondents from each of the ten
moku/counties: 6 (50%) parents or family members; 3 (25%) kumu or kupuna,
and 3 (25%) 'ohana caregivers (providers of kith and kin child care).
The Statewide pool of respondents was thus comprised of 120 respondents
with representatives from each of the geographic areas of interest to
Ho'owaiwai Na Kamali'i. At the moku/county level, all of the 604
completed surveys collected by the facilitators were analyzed. These
results are presented in both tables and figures for each of the ten
divisions.
Cautionary Note
Some subjects received their surveys through the mail, which altered the
structure of the data collection. Without a facilitator present, some
consumers were unable to clarify questions and hold discussions, as was
done with focus groups and individual interviews. Further, the
discussions included background and support information. During data
analysis, some surveys were found to have been disseminated without
complete printed instructions. The instructions included the statement,
"If both parents of one child are present, their input is to be combined
as one member". Without this statement, some of the surveys were
returned from one family with two responses, a problem when two parents
of one child responded differently to the same question(s).
Additionally, there is a "double count" of information that actually
referred to only one child. Given the aforementioned methodological
problems, the reader should be aware of the data shortcomings and regard
the results of the Consumer Survey reported herein as suggestive, rather
than definitive.
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