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Does who responds matter?: exploring potential proxy response bias in the Washington Group Short Set disability
Aaron Beuoy1, Kelsey S Goddard1
1Institute for Health and Disability Policy Studies, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States.
Proxy respondents are significantly more likely to be classified as having a disability using the Washington Group Short Set (WG-SS). This finding highlights potential biases in disability prevalence estimates and impacts health equity research.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Disability Studies
- Survey Methodology
Background:
- The Washington Group Short Set (WG-SS) is a key tool for disability identification in population surveys.
- Cognitive testing reveals response differences between self- and proxy-reporting for the WG-SS.
- Proxy reporting is common in national surveys, raising concerns about disability data accuracy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between proxy respondents and disability classification using the WG-SS.
- To assess the impact of reporting source on disability prevalence estimates.
Main Methods:
- Binary logistic regression analysis was employed.
- Pooled data from the 2010-2018 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) were utilized.
- Sociodemographic characteristics were controlled for.
Main Results:
- Proxy respondents were 4.48 times more likely to be classified with a WG-SS disability than self-reporters, after adjusting for sociodemographics.
- This indicates a significant overestimation of disability when proxy respondents are used.
Conclusions:
- Discrepancies in proxy reporting can distort disability prevalence estimates, impacting health equity and policy.
- Reporting source (self vs. proxy) should be a critical variable in WG-SS data quality and equity assessments.
- Future research must account for reporting source to ensure accurate disability data.
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