Honey, I Forgot the Kids: Underreporting of Children in Probability-Based Web Panels

Thomas M. Menino Convention & Exhibition Center 

Household-based surveys experience a systemic undercounting of young children. This is consequential for the measurement of children's health. Research on undercounting has not focused on the effects of rostering and reporting errors in probability-based, web panel surveys. Additionally, little is known about how patterns of undercounting influence estimates of key health indicators. The National Center for Health Statistics Rapid Surveys System utilizes two commercial, probability-based web panels. While it was designed to produce estimates of adults, Round 5 was innovated to produce estimates on the health of children. Panel members provide profile data including the number and ages of children in the household. To evaluate potential underreporting of children due to inaccurate profile data, two samples were drawn from distinct groups and screened for eligibility: main (profile data indicating presence of children) and supplemental (profile data indicating no children). This presentation discusses the characteristics of children identified with the supplemental sample and describes the potential impact on health estimates if these children had been excluded from the study.

Children

Health

Undercount

Rostering

Web Panel Surveys

Rapid Surveys System 

Survey Research Methods Section