Factors that influence the accuracy of adolescent proxy reporting of parental characteristics: A research note

Abstract

Socioeconomic status (SES) is considered to be an important marker of physical, mental, and social outcomes. However, methods used to gather socioeconomic information vary widely in terms of both the indicators of SES used (e.g., education, occupation, income, etc.) and data collection strategies. In particular, studies of adolescents often rely on children's proxy reports of measures of parents' SES. There is disagreement in the literature regarding children's ability to reliably serve as proxy respondents for their parents. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a nationally representative sample of adolescents and their parents, we assess the accuracy of children's proxy reports of mothers' education and receipt of public assistance. Results show that accuracy of children's proxy reports varies by children's age, gender, and race; however, social class largely accounts for race differences found.

The use of parental occupation in adolescent health surveys. An application of ISCO-based measures of occupational status

“…We also observed high levels of missing data on parental occupation, which were higher for less well-off adolescents 9 47. Analyses using multiple imputations methods for missing values in the ISCO scheme found no substantial difference in results.…”

A Descriptive Study of the Knowledge-Base of Malaria between the Visually-impaired and the Non-Visually impaired in Two Primary Schools in Lagos, Nigeria; implications for health education.

“…Children in lower grades tend to exaggerate the occupations of their fathers while children in the upper grade level at school report their fathers' occupation more accurately [18]. Research also showed that when children were asked to report on their mothers' income and to tell if the mothers received food stamps, the reports by children on their mothers' economic status also varied by the child's gender, age and race [16]. Children also exaggerate their parents' educational level [17].…”

“…The Principal Investigator observed that amongst the children in the main stream school, even if their father worked as a cleaner or an orderly in a hospital, the children insisted that their father was a doctor. This is not surprising because children idolize their fathers [16][17][18]. Several studies have shown inconsistencies between what the child reports as the parents' occupation and what the parents report as their occupation [16][17][18].…”

“…This is not surprising because children idolize their fathers [16][17][18]. Several studies have shown inconsistencies between what the child reports as the parents' occupation and what the parents report as their occupation [16][17][18]. Studies have also shown that the inconsistencies in children reporting their parents' occupations vary by the gender of the child reporting, the grade level of the child and by the academic achievement of the child [16][17][18].…”

“…Several studies have shown inconsistencies between what the child reports as the parents' occupation and what the parents report as their occupation [16][17][18]. Studies have also shown that the inconsistencies in children reporting their parents' occupations vary by the gender of the child reporting, the grade level of the child and by the academic achievement of the child [16][17][18]. Children in lower grades tend to exaggerate the occupations of their fathers while children in the upper grade level at school report their fathers' occupation more accurately [18].…”