The Reporting of Stigmatizing Health Conditions: A Comparison of Proxy and Self-Reporting¹

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Berk, Marc L.^a | Horgan, Constance M.^a | Meyers, Samuel M.^a

Affiliations: [a] National Center for Health Services Research and Health Care Technology Assessment

Note: [1] Address correspondence to Dr. Marc L. Berk, Senior Sociologist, National Center for Health Services Research and Health Care Technology Assessment, Park Building, Room 18A-55, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857.

Abstract: Previous studies have found that self-respondents tend to report a greater number of health problems than do household proxies. It has not been clear, however, if such results indicate reporting bias or reflect underlying health differences in the self-respondent and household proxy populations. Verification data from a survey of medical providers were examined in conjunction with the results of a national household survey. Our analysis indicates that the use of proxies does not increase misreporting. Overall reporting error between self-respondents and proxy-respondents is comparable on reports of mental illness. When physical stigmatizing conditions are examined, the use of proxies actually appears to be preferable to interviewing respondents directly.

DOI: 10.3233/JEM-1986-14303

Journal: Journal of Economic and Social Measurement, vol. 14, no. 3, pp. 197-205, 1986