Ascertaining True Ages at Death Through a Matching Study

Samuel H. Preston, Irma T. Elo, Mark E. Hill and Ira Rosenwaike

Chapter Chapter 3 in The Demography of African Americans 1930–1990, 2003, pp 33-62 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract In Chapter 2, we identified major inconsistencies in national data on African Americans. Problems were shown to be more acute at older ages. An important clue about the source of errors is provided by a study by Kitagawa and Hauser of data for 1960, the middle of the period under investigation. Kitagawa and Hauser’s study matched records from death registration and from the 1960 U.S. Census (National Center for Health Statistics 1968). Large inconsistencies in age reporting were identified, especially among older people. Only 44.7 percent of nonwhite males and 36.9 percent of nonwhite females had the same age reported on the death certificate and census form. The study design did not permit inaccuracies to be traced to either system. It is however, plausible to assume that inaccuracies were greater on death certificates because ages there are always provided by someone other than the subject.

Keywords: Social Security; Death Certificate; Social Security Number; Birth Registration; Social Security Administration (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2003
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:ssdmcp:978-94-017-0325-3_3

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DOI: 10.1007/978-94-017-0325-3_3

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