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Comparative Study
. 2016 May;71(3):558-68.
doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbv048. Epub 2015 Aug 21.

Methodological Aspects of Subjective Life Expectancy: Effects of Culture-Specific Reporting Heterogeneity Among Older Adults in the United States

Sunghee Lee  1 , Jacqui Smith  2
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Methodological Aspects of Subjective Life Expectancy: Effects of Culture-Specific Reporting Heterogeneity Among Older Adults in the United States

Sunghee Lee et al. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2016 May.

Abstract

Objectives: Subjective life expectancy (SLE) has been suggested as a predictor of mortality and mortality-related behaviors. Although critical for culturally diverse societies, these findings do not consider cross-cultural methodological comparability. Culture-specific reporting heterogeneity is a well-known phenomenon introducing biases, and research on this issue with SLE is not established.

Method: Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, we examined reporting heterogeneity in SLE focusing on item nonresponse, focal points, and reports over time for five ethnic-cultural groups: non-Hispanic Whites, non-Hispanic Blacks, non-Hispanic other races, English-interviewed Hispanics, and Spanish-interviewed Hispanics.

Results: On item nonresponse, Spanish-interviewed Hispanics said, "I don't know," to SLE significantly more than any other groups. Nearly half of the respondents chose 0, 50, or 100, making them focal points. However, the focal points differed: 50 for Whites, 100 for Blacks, and 0 for Spanish-interviewed Hispanics. The relationship of SLE measured at two time points was higher for Whites than minorities. Moreover, those who said "I don't know" to SLE showed higher subsequent mortality than those who gave an answer. SLE was not a significant mortality predictor for Hispanics.

Discussion: Overall, SLE is not free from culture-specific reporting heterogeneity. This warrants further research about its culture-relevant measurement mechanisms.

Keywords: Mortality predictions; Nonresponse; Racial and ethnic minorities; Reporting heterogeneity; Subjective life expectancy.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Cumulative distribution of detailed number responses and item nonresponse to subjective life expectancy, unweighted, adults aged 50–89 years, Health and Retirement Study 2004.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Response patterns to subjective life expectancy by race, ethnicity, and interview language, unweighted, adults aged 50–89 years, Health and Retirement Study 2004. (A) Item nonresponse to subjective life expectancy and the 95% confidence interval. Item nonresponse rate is significantly different from non-Hispanic Whites’ at **p < .01 and ***p < .001. (B) Distribution of subjective life expectancy responses. The mean of SLE is significantly different from non-Hispanic Whites’ at ***p < .001
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Two-, four-, six-, and eight-year survival rates (%) by response to subjective life expectancy at baseline by race, ethnicity, and interview language, weighted, adults aged 50–89 years at baseline, Health and Retirement Study 2004 (baseline), 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2012.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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