This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Rosenwaike, I. Articles by Hill, M. E. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

The Accuracy of Age Reporting among Elderly African Americans

Evidence of a Birth Registration Effect

University of Pennsylvania

Mark E. Hill

University of Pennsylvania

This article expands on previous research that has documented disparities in age information for elderly African Americans. Drawing on a sample of death certificates for Maryland-born African Americans purportedly aged 65-79 years, the validity of age data on both death certificates and social security records is examined through comparison with birth dates provided on linked birth records. The commonly assumed relationship between birth registration and quality of age reporting also is investigated. When compared to birth records, age reporting on social security records is significantly more accurate than that on death records. Age agreement between matched death and social security records closely reflects age validity as determined from birth records. Findings based on logistic regression analysis support the hypothesized birth registration effect: Controlling for demographic characteristics, persons known to have birth certificates exhibited significantly greater age agreement on linked death certificates and social security records (odds ratio = 2.3).

Research on Aging, Vol. 18, No. 3, 310-324 (1996)
DOI: 10.1177/0164027596183003


CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?