Inconsistencies in self-reported weather-related home damage among household members

Ha Nguyen and Francis Mitrou

MPRA Paper from University Library of Munich, Germany

Abstract: Using longitudinal, nationally representative data from Australia, this study uncovers a previously undocumented pattern: in over half of cases where one household member reports weather-related home damage, their co-resident does not. This high rate of intra-household inconsistency is striking, particularly given that respondents are asked the same question within a similar timeframe, and that prior research has generally treated self-reported damage as exogenous to individual behaviour. Household fixed-effects models indicate that a range of factors, including individual health, life satisfaction, local socio-economic conditions, and cyclone exposure, are systematically associated with both the likelihood of reporting damage and intra-household inconsistencies. Individuals in better health, with higher life satisfaction, or residing in more advantaged areas are less likely to report damage—whether consistently or inconsistently—relative to their household member. Furthermore, replacing self-reported damage with a more objective measure substantially attenuates the observed associations between damage and individual health and life satisfaction. Taken together, these findings challenge the common assumption of exogeneity in self-reported weather-related home damage and underscore the risk of biased inference if endogeneity is not adequately addressed.

Keywords: Measurement Errors; Survey Misreporting; Natural Disasters; Cyclones; Housing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C18 Q54 R23 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-06
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Related works:
Working Paper: Inconsistencies in self-reported weather-related home damage among household members (2025)
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