Bias in proxies' reports of disability: data from the National Health Interview Survey on disability

These studies examined whether differences between self-reports and proxy reports of disabilities reflect proxy response biases or only respondent selection factors. The data were from the National Health Interview Survey on Disability (1994-1995, phases 1 and 2). In study 1, reports of disabilities...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of public health (1971) 2000-08, Vol.90 (8), p.1248-1253
Main Authors: Todorov, A, Kirchner, C
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Activities of Daily Living
Adult
Age Factors
Aged
Analysis. Health state
Bias
Biological and medical sciences
Data collection
Disability
Disabled Persons - statistics & numerical data
Epidemiology
Female
General aspects
Health Status Indicators
Health Surveys
Households
Humans
Interviews
Interviews as Topic
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Morbidity
National surveys
People with disabilities
Polls & surveys
Proxies
Public health
Public health. Hygiene
Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine
Regression Analysis
Reproducibility of Results
Self evaluation
Self-Assessment
United States - epidemiology
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Summary:These studies examined whether differences between self-reports and proxy reports of disabilities reflect proxy response biases or only respondent selection factors. The data were from the National Health Interview Survey on Disability (1994-1995, phases 1 and 2). In study 1, reports of disabilities were regressed on respondent status, self vs proxy, and demographic factors. In study 2, the ratios of the proportions of self-reports and proxy reports of disabilities were regressed on independent lay ratings of observability of these disabilities and their "interactional" nature. In study 3, the disability reports for people who differed in respondent status in one phase but self-reported the same disability in the other phase were compared. In study 1, proxies under-reported disabilities for people aged 18 to 64 years but overreported for people 65 years or older. In study 2, the observability and interactional scores accounted for more than 60% of the variance of self and proxy differences in an inverse relationship, study 3 confirmed the basic findings of study 1. Use of proxies in representative surveys on disability introduces systematic biases, affecting national disability estimates.
ISSN:0090-0036
1541-0048
DOI:10.2105/AJPH.90.8.1248