Demographic correlates of the onset of work limiting health conditions

Abstract

This study examines demographic correlates of the onset of work limiting health conditions in the United States using retrospective histories from the 2004 Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP). Because the SIPP data are based on respondent recall, comparisons are first made to information from the 2004 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Reports of work limiting health in the SIPP and the NHIS correspond closely and little evidence of recall bias is found in the retrospective SIPP reports.

Analysis of the SIPP data reveals that most onsets of work limiting health conditions occur for persons younger than 16 or older than 46. However, onset age varies greatly by condition. Conditions like deafness, cerebral palsy, and intellectual disabilities tend to show up early in life while others like back problems and heart conditions usually arrive much later in life. Logistic regressions relating common demographic factors including age, gender, race, Hispanic origin, marital status and educational level to the onset of health limitations show that most measures are highly predictive. However, we find that some specific conditions, like cancer, the presence of tumors, and paralysis, appear to be primarily related to aging particularly among married individuals.