TY - JOUR T1 - Why do older people change their ratings of childhood health? JF - Demography Y1 - 2014 A1 - Vuolo, Mike A1 - Kenneth F Ferraro A1 - Patricia M Morton A1 - Ting-Ying Yang KW - Adaptation, Psychological KW - Age Factors KW - Aged KW - Aged, 80 and over KW - Aging KW - Female KW - Health Status KW - Humans KW - Male KW - Memory KW - Middle Aged KW - Retrospective Studies KW - Self Report KW - Sex Factors KW - Socioeconomic factors AB -

A growing number of studies in life course epidemiology and biodemography make use of a retrospective question tapping self-rated childhood health to assess overall physical health status. Analyzing repeated measures of self-rated childhood health from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), this study examines several possible explanations for why respondents might change their ratings of childhood health. Results reveal that nearly one-half of the sample revised their rating of childhood health during the 10-year observation period. Whites and relatively advantaged older adults-those with more socioeconomic resources and better memory-were less likely to revise their rating of childhood health, while those who experienced multiple childhood health problems were more likely to revise their childhood health rating, either positively or negatively. Changes in current self-rated health and several incident physical health problems were also related to the revision of one's rating of childhood health, while the development of psychological disorders was associated with more negative revised ratings. We then illustrate the impact that these changes may have on an adult outcomes: namely, depressive symptoms. Whereas adult ratings of childhood health are likely to change over time, we recommend their use only if adjusting for factors associated with these changes, such as memory, psychological disorder, adult self-rated health, and socioeconomic resources.

PB - 51 VL - 51 IS - 6 N1 - Times Cited: 0 0 U1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25359668?dopt=Abstract U2 - PMC4253875 U4 - Retrospective questions/Self-rated health/Life course epidemiology/Reliability/Childhood conditions ER -