Supplemental Material
ONE-STEP QUESTION
What is your current gender?
• Male
• Female
• Transgender
• Do not identify as male, female or transgender
TWO-STEP QUESTIONS
QUESTION 1: SEX AT BIRTH
Was your sex recorded as male or female at birth?
• Male
• Female
QUESTION 2A: CURRENT GENDER IDENTITY
Do you describe yourself as male, female, or transgender?
• Male
• Female
• Transgender
QUESTION 2B: CURRENT GENDER IDENTITY
Do you describe yourself as male, female, or transgender or something else?
• Male
• Female
• Transgender
• Do not identify as male, female, or transgender
QUESTION 2C: CURRENT GENDER IDENTITY
How do you describe yourself? (Check one)
• Male
• Female
• Transgender
• Genderqueer/gender non-conforming/non-binary
QUESTION 2D: CURRENT GENDER IDENTITY
How do you describe yourself? (Check one)
• Male
• Female
• Trans male/ Trans man
• Trans female/ Trans woman
• Genderqueer/gender non-conforming/non-binary
• Different identity (please state): __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _

Fig. 2. GI question wording – focus groups.

Supplemental Material
Table 6. Criteria for match, near match, and mismatch in paired cognitive interviews
Paired interview respondents could be classified as a match, near match, or mismatch when responding about each
other, other members of the household, and/or household level questions (e.g., income and disability). We did not
classify responses from pairs where one or both respondents said “Don't Know.”
Question
Sexual orientation

Gender identity

Date of birth
Age
Relationship to
reference person

Wording
Which of the following best
represents how you think of
yourself?
• Gay or Lesbian
• Straight, that is not gay,
lesbian, or bisexual
• Bisexual
• Something else
GI
QUESTION 1: SEX AT BIRTH
Was your sex recorded as male or
female at birth?
• Male
• Female
QUESTION 2: CURRENT GENDER
IDENTITY
Do you describe yourself as male,
female, or transgender?
• Male
• Female
• Transgender
What is your date of birth?
That means you are [FILL] years
old, is that correct?
How are you related to [NAME]?
1. Opposite sex spouse
(husband/wife)
2. Opposite sex unmarried partner
3. Same sex spouse (husband/wife)
4. Same sex unmarried partner
5. Child
6. Grandchild
7. Parent
8. Brother/ sister
9. Other relative (aunt, uncle,
cousin, in law)
10. Foster child
11. Housemate/roommate
12. Roomer/boarder
13. Other nonrelative

Mismatch
Responses differ
between “straight” and
anything else (i.e. sexual
minority)

Near Match
Responses differ but
neither is “straight,” so
person is still a sexual
minority (e.g. “gay or
lesbian” vs “bisexual”)

Responses to the pair of
questions differ in that
one set of answers
identifies the person as
a gender minority and
the other does not

Responses to the pair of
questions differ but both
sets of answers identify the
person as a gender
minority (e.g., “male” /
“transgender” v. “male” /
”female”)

Responses differ on year
of birth
Reported age differs by
more than one
Responses differ in the
nature of the
relationship (e.g.,
Person A calls Person B
“child,” but Person B
calls Person A
“brother/sister”)

Responses agree on year of
birth but differ on age
Reported age differs by
only one
Responses do not differ in
the nature of the
relationship (e.g., Person A
calls Person B “spouse” but
Person B calls Person A
“partner”)

Table 6. cont. Criteria for match, near match, and mismatch in paired cognitive interviews
Question
Marital status

Education

Wording
Are you currently married,
widowed, divorced, separated, or
never married?
1. Married
2. Widowed
3. Divorced
4. Separated
5. Never married
What is the highest level of
school you have completed or
the highest degree you have
received?
1. 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th grade (For
example: BA, AB, BS)
2. 5th or 6th grade
3. 7th or 8th grade
4. 9th grade
5. 10th grade
6. 11th grade
7. 12th grade NO DIPLOMA
8. HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATEhigh school DIPLOMA or the
equivalent (For example: GED)
9. Some college but no degree
10. Associate degree in college Occupational/vocational
program
11. Associate degree in college -Academic program
12. Bachelor's degree
13. Master's degree (For
example: MA, MS, MEng, MEd,
MSW, MBA)
14. Professional School Degree
(For example:
MD,DDS,DVM,LLB,JD)
15. Doctorate degree (For
example: PhD, EdD)

Mismatch
Responses differ between
“married” and anything
else

Near Match
Responses differ but
neither is “married”

Responses differ and are
not adjacent, among list
of options

Responses differ but are
adjacent, among list of
options

Table 6. cont. Criteria for match, near match, and mismatch in paired cognitive interviews
Question
Income

Wording
Which category represents the
total combined income of your
FAMILY during the past 12
months? This includes money
from jobs, net income from
business, farm or rent, pensions,
dividends, interest, social
security payments and any other
money income received
1. Less than USD5,000
2. 5,000 to 7,499
3. 7,500 to 9,999
4. 10,000 to 12,499
5. 12,500 to 14,999
6. 15,000 to 19,999
7. 20,000 to 24,999
8. 25,000 to 29,999
9. 30,000 to 34,999
10. 35,000 to 39,999
11. 40,000 to 49,999
12. 50,000 to 59,999
13. 60,000 to 74,999
14. 75,000 to 99,999
15. 100,000 to 149,999
16. USD150,000 or over

Mismatch
Responses differ and are
not adjacent, among list
of options

Near Match
Responses differ but are
adjacent, among list of
options