We take advantage of the fact that for the Austrian SILC 2008-2011, two data sources are available in parallel for the same households: register-based and survey-based income data. Thus, we aim to explain which households tend to under- or over-report their household income by estimating multinomial logit and OLS models with covariates referring to the interview situation, employment status and socio-demographic household characteristics. Furthermore, we analyze source-specific differences in the distribution of household income and how these differences affect aggregate poverty indicators based on household income. The analysis reveals an increase in the cross-sectional poverty rates for 2008-2011 and the longitudinal poverty rate if register data rather than survey data are used. These changes in the poverty rate are mainly driven by differences in employment income rather than sampling weights and other income components. Regression results show a pattern of mean-reverting errors when comparing household income between the two data sources. Furthermore, differences between data sources for both under-reporting and over-reporting slightly decrease with the number of panel waves in which a household participated. Among the other variables analyzed that are related to the interview situation (mode, proxy, interview month), only the number of proxy interviews was (weakly) positively correlated with the difference between data sources, although this outcome was not robust over different model specifications.

The paper analyses the sources of income measurement error in surveys with a unique data set. We use the Austrian 2008-2011 waves of the European Union "Statistics on income and living conditions" survey which provide individual information on wages, pensions and unemployment benefits from survey interviews and officially linked administrative records. Thus, we do not have to fall back on complex two-sample matching procedures like related studies. We empirically investigate four sources of measurement error, namely social desirabil- ity, sociodemographic characteristics of the respondent, the survey design and the presence of learning effects. We find strong evidence for a social desirability bias in income reporting, whereas the presence of learning effects is mixed and depends on the type of income under consideration. An Owen value decomposition reveals that social desirability is a major expla- nation of misreporting in wages and pensions, whereas sociodemographic characteristics are most relevant for mismatches in unemployment benefits.

This doctoral thesis examines the long-term impact of birth order on health, and educational attainment. Swedish register data is used to link individuals to their siblings, thereby allowing members of the sibling group to be compared to one another. This thesis consists of an introductory chapter summarizing empirical research on the relationship between birth order and educational attainment, intelligence, health, and personality, as well the theoretical frameworks that have been developed to explain those relationships. This introductory chapter is followed by four original empirical studies. The first two studies show that relative to first born siblings, later borns have lower physical fitness in late adolescence, and higher mortality in adulthood. The third study uses the Swedish registers to identify sibling groups that entirely consist of adopted individuals, and shows that the commonly observed negative relationship between birth order and educational attainment persists in these fully adopted sibling groups. These results suggest that birth order effects are likely explained by post-natal, social mechanisms within the family. Finally, the fourth study shows that even though later born siblings do worse than first borns in a fully adjusted statistical model, educational expansion in the 20th century has meant that later born siblings actually tend to have greater educational attainment and are more likely to attend university in comparison to older siblings within the same family. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 1: Manuscript. Paper 2: Epub ahead of print. Paper 3: Accepted. Paper 4: Manuscript.</p>

This paper analyses the sources of income measurement error in surveys with a unique dataset.We use the Austrian 2008-2011 waves of EU-SILC which provide individual information on wages,pensions and unemployment benefits from survey interviews and officially linked administrativerecords. Thus, we do not have to fall back on complex two-sample matching procedures likerelated studies. We empirically investigate four sources of measurement error, namely (i) socialdesirability, (ii) socio-demographic characteristics of the respondent, (iii) the survey design, and(iv) the presence of learning effects. We find strong evidence for a social desirability bias inincome reporting, while the presence of learning effects is mixed and depends on the income typeunder consideration. An Owen value decomposition reveals that social desirability is a majorexplanation of misreporting in wages and pensions, whereas socio-demographic characteristicsare most relevant for mismatches in unemployment benefits. / Series: INEQ Working Paper Series

Sweden has seen a reversal in marriage trends, from mainly declining marriage rates since the 1960s to increasing rates from 1998 and onwards. By applying event-history techniques to Swedish register data, this study examines whether the trend reversal is related to compositional changes in various socio-economic and demographic characteristics of the population, with special focus on childbearing. Only first marriages of women are studied as these largely represent the general marriage trends. The results show that the trend reversal only partly can be ascribed to compositional changes, more specifically to changes in labor-market attachment and childbearing. Thus, there is evidence of a new marriage trend in Sweden that does not conform very well to that of generally declining marriage rates as is often depicted in demographic literature. Furthermore, there is evidence of pro-cyclical marriage and childbearing trends. These patterns are especially interesting because Sweden is a country that in many aspects has been a forerunner in the development of new trends in family-demographic behavior and a country where childbearing and marriage are not necessarily seen as very closely interrelated.

Thesis (MScMedSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) treatment registers and laboratory records are essential recording and reporting tools in TB control programmes. Reliable data are essential for any TB control programme but under-registration of TB cases has been well documented internationally, due to under-reporting of patients on treatment or failure to initiate treatment. The accuracy and completeness of routinely collected data are seldom monitored. Aim: This study used record linking to assess the accuracy and completeness of TB treatment register data and the feasibility of estimating the completeness of bacteriological confirmed pulmonary TB registration in two high incident communities in South Africa with capturerecapture methods. Methods: All cases of bacteriologically confirmed TB defined as 2 smear-positive results and/or at least one culture-positive result were included. Record linking was performed between three data sources: (1) TB treatment registers; and (2) all smear and culture results from (a) the nearest central laboratory, and (b) the referral hospital laboratory. To estimate the completeness of TB treatment recording three-source log-linear capture-recapture models were used, with internal validity analysis. Results: The TB treatment registers had 435 TB cases recorded of which 204 (47%) were bacteriologically confirmed cases. An additional 39 cases that were recorded as nonbacteriological cases in the TB treatment register, were reclassified as bacteriologically confirmed. In addition, there were 63 bacteriologically confirmed cases identified from the laboratory databases which were not recorded in the TB treatment register. The final total number of bacteriologically confirmed TB cases across all 3 databases was 306, an increase of 50% over what had initially been recorded in the TB treatment register. The log-linear capture-recapture model estimated the number of bacteriologically confirmed TB cases not found in any of the data sources at 20, resulting in a total number of bacteriologically confirmed TB cases of 326 (95% CI 314-355). The completeness of registration of bacteriologically confirmed pulmonary TB cases was 79% after record linking and 75% after the capture-recapture estimate. Conclusions: The results presented in this thesis highlighted the concern regarding the accuracy and completeness of routinely collected TB recording and reporting data. A high percentage of bacteriologically confirmed cases from both laboratories were not recorded in the TB treatment registers. Capture-recapture can be useful, but not essential, for evaluation of TB control programmes, also in resource-limited settings, but methodology and results should be carefully assessed. The present study estimated the extent of the problem of underreporting of TB in South Africa and identified challenges in the process. Interventions to reduce underreporting of TB are urgently needed. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Inleiding: Registers van tuberkulose (TB) behandeling en laboratoriumrekords is noodsaaklike instrumente in die dokumentering van en verslagdoening oor TB beheerprogramme. Betroubare data is onontbeerlik vir enige TB beheerprogram maar onderregistrasie van TB gevalle is internasionaal goed gedokumenteer. Die akkuraatheid en volledigheid van roetine data word selde gemoniteer. Doel: Hierdie studie het rekordkoppeling gebruik om die akkuraatheid en volledigheid van data in TB behandelingsregisters te ondersoek. Voorts is die uitvoerbaarheid van die vangshervangsmetodes vir die beoordeling van die volledigheid van bakteriologies bevestigde pulmonale TB registrasie in twee hoë-insidensie gemeenskappe ondersoek. Metodes: Alle gevalle van bakteriologies bevestigde TB, gedefinieer as 2 smeer-positiewe resultate en/of ten minste een kultuur-positiewe resultaat, is in die studie ingesluit. Rekordkoppeling is onderneem tussen drie databronne: (1) TB behandelingsregisters; en (2) alle smeer- en kultuurpositiewe resultate van (a) die naaste sentrale laboratorium, en (b) die verwysende hospitaallaboratorium. Om die volledigheid van TB behandelingsrekords te ondersoek is drie-bron log-lineêre vangs-hervangs modelle gebruik met interne geldigheidsontleding. Resultate: Die TB registers het 435 aangetekende TB gevalle bevat waarvan 204 (47%) bakteriologies bevestigde gevalle was. 'n Bykomende 39 gevalle wat as nie-bakteriologies bevestigde gevalle aangeteken was in die TB register is hergeklassifiseer as bakteriologies bevestig. Daar is ook 63 bakteriologies bevestigde gevalle geïdentifiseer vanuit die laboratorium databasisse wat nie in die TB register aangeteken was nie. Die finale totale aantal bakteriologies bevestigede TB gevalle oor al drie databasisse heen was 306, 'n toename van 50% in vergelyking met wat aanvanklik in die TB register aangeteken was. Die log-lineêre vangs-hervangs model het die aantal bakteriologies bevestigde gevalle wat nie in enige van die databronne gevind kon word nie as 20 gevalle geskat, wat gelei het tot 'n totaal van 326 (95% VI 314-355) bakteriologies bevestigde gevalle. Die volledigheid van registrasie van bakteriologies bevestigde TB gevalle was 79% na rekordkoppeling en 75% na die vangs-hervangs skatting. Gevolgtrekkings: Die resultate wat in hierdie tesis voorgelê is beklemtoon die besorgdheid oor die akkuraatheid en volledigheid van die aanmelding en optekening van roetine TB data. 'n Hoë persentasie van bakteriologies bevestigde gevalle van beide laboratoriums is nie in die TB register opgeteken nie. Vangs-hervangs kan nuttig wees, maar nie noodsaaklik nie, in die evaluasie van TB beheerprogramme, ook in hulpbron-arm omgewings, maar die metodologie moet omsigtig beoordeel word. Die huidige studie het die omvang van die probleem van onderrapportering van TB in Suid-Afrika beraam en uitdagings in die proses geïdentifiseer. Intervensies om onderrapportering te verminder word dringend benodig.

In many immigrant-receiving countries, the increased rate and diversification of immigration has placed immigrant integration high on academic and political agendas. Immigrant integration must also be understood within increasingly complex contexts due to the global recession and new geographies of immigrant settlement. The aim of this thesis is to deepen understanding of immigrant integration processes during the recession by using Sweden as an empirical lens. Using Swedish register data, this thesis examines the registered population during the recent economic boom and bust to explore how the recession may have resulted in differential labour market and migration outcomes between immigrants and natives. The first empirical chapter highlights how long-term processes have produced a spatial, immigrant division of labour that results in differential risks of unemployment during the recession. The second empirical chapter examines internal migration to show that although cyclical patterns of the economy offer some explanation of the differences in experiences between immigrant and natives, long-term, deeper processes are more important in understanding geographies of immigrant integration. The final empirical chapter examines a recent immigrant cohort to show that labour market entry is by no means uniform across time, space and immigrant origin. Conceptually, the thesis shows that existing theories of immigrant integration processes during recessions are underdeveloped and that processes taking place across other temporal and spatial scales offer deeper explanation for the differential outcomes between immigrants and natives. The thesis also reveals what is knowable from register data and how such data allows future research to present a more holistic picture of how various forms of immigrant integration play out across time (economic cycles, lifecourse, generations) and across space (urban, rural areas, old and new immigrant destinations). This methodological contribution is significant given that social scientists are currently evaluating the relative merits of population censuses versus administrative register data.

With a background in the ageing of the population and the new challenges facing individuals, families and the welfare state, the aim of this thesis is to analyse the changing family landscape and the geographical distances between elderly parents and adult children. The thesis consists of four empirical studies derived from three different sources of data: In the first paper (Paper I), historical population data is combined with modern register data for two Swedish regions. In the second and third papers, individual-level register data covering the entire Swedish population serves as the empirical starting point. The fourth paper leaves the registers aside and builds upon interviews. Paper I provides an introduction and historical background to the question of intergenerational geographical proximity and distance. The paper analyses intergenerational distances and seeks to compare and discuss the significance of the variations. It is shown that concerning extreme proximity a great decrease has occurred over 200 years, however when it comes to having kin within reach the decrease is less dramatic, and that now, just as then, a majority of elderly parents have an adult child within reach. The article concludes that even though geographical distances between generations vary over time and space, no clear linear trend towards intergenerational geographical separation can be established. In Paper II we analyse some features and trends in intergenerational distances in Sweden. We find that 10% of all elderly parents have at least one child living very close and that a majority, 85%, have an adult child within reach. The study shows no clear trend towards increasing intergenerational separation, but suggests that periods of intense societal restructuring, such urbanisation, can lead to spells of increased intergenerational separation on an aggregated level. Paper III investigates whether, and to what extent, elderly parents and adult children move close to each other. We find that even though the older generation makes up a smaller share of the moves made, when they do move they are more likely to move closer to an adult child. Further, having more than one relative at a destination adds to the attraction, and that older elderly are less likely to move close to a child than younger elderly. One interpretation is that young-old parents serve as a resource for their adult children, while older elderly are more influenced by the need for welfare state based assistance. The last paper, IV, returns to the elderly parents living very close to an adult child. In interviews with 14 elderly the aim of the paper is to gain new understanding about the interaction between intergenerational proximity, assistance and the meaning of being close. Some of the issues raised in the paper relate to migration histories, reciprocity and independence. / I två av delarbetena har författaren efternamnet Pettersson.

With its point of departure of increasing numbers of people being engaged in commuting, the aim of this thesis is to reveal prerequisites for and consequences of long-distance commuting in Sweden for the individual and his or her partner. Special attention has been given to prerequisites for long-distance commuting in sparsely populated areas, and to social consequences related to long-distance commuting in terms of gender differences in commuting patterns, earnings and separation. The thesis is based on four empirical studies, presented in different papers. Two studies draw on individual longitudinal register data on all Swedish long-distance commuters living with a partner. The other two focus on commuting behaviour in sparsely populated areas, one based on individual register data and the other on a survey. Long-distance commuting (&gt;30 kilometres) has become an increasingly common mobility strategy among Swedish workers and their households. Results from the thesis show that 11 percent of Swedish workers are long-distance commuters and about half of them live in a relationship. Among these couples many are families with children, indicating the importance of social ties in households’ decisions on where to work and live. Most long-distance commuters are men, and it is also likely that long-distance commuters have a high education level and are employed in the private sector. For the majority, long-distance commuting gives higher earnings; however, men benefit economically more than women do. As long-distance commuting reduces available family time, the non-commuting spouse often takes on a larger share of household commitments. The thesis shows that men’s long-distance commuting may therefore serve to reproduce and reinforce traditional gender roles on the labour market and within households. On the other hand, women’s long-distance commuting can lead to more equalitarian relationships on the labour market and within households. For the majority of couples it seems as if long-distance commuting becomes more than a temporary mobility strategy, while for some couples it does not work out very well. Separation rates are found to be higher among long-distance commuters compared to other couples; especially the first years of commuting seem to be the most challenging. It is suggested that coping strategies are important to make the consequences of long-distance commuting easier to handle and adjust to in the daily life puzzle. For those unable to handle these consequences, long-distance commuting is not a sustainable mobility strategy and can even end a relationship. The extent of long-distance commuting is low in sparsely populated areas, and those who do long-distance commute are mainly men. Most people work and live within the same locality and do not accept longer commuting times than do those in densely populated areas. In this thesis it is argued that facilitating car commuting in the more sparsely populated areas of Sweden can be more economically and socially sustainable, for the individual commuters as well as for society, than encouraging commuting by public transportation.

Objective: This thesis examines the timing of having the first child in relation to when Swedish men and women leave the parental home. The aim is to explain if any childbearing trends can be detected based on whether one leaves the parental home at a younger or older relative age than the current age norms. The timing of having the first child might be affected by either a speed up/slow down effect (one continues to experience other stages of adulthood faster or slower relative to people of the same age) or an age-norm effect (one tries to counter-act deviation from the home-leaving norm by speeding up or delaying childbearing to align with people of the same age).   Method and Data: Event history analysis is applied using a multivariate piece-wise constant hazard model. The data comes from Swedish register data based on records of the entire Swedish population between 1 January 1953 and 31 December 2012.   Results: The results indicate that Swedish women who leave the parental home younger than the norm run a greater risk of having their first child sooner after leaving the parental home relative to women of the same age. Swedish men who leave the parental home younger than the norm, on the other hand, run a greater risk of having the first child later after leaving the parental home relative to men of the same age. Swedish men who leave the parental home later than the norm run a greater risk of having their first child sooner after leaving the parental home relative to men of the same age while the opposite is true for women. However, the effects of timing of leaving the parental home are relatively small, which can be explained by the very long and stable mean durations found. The peak durations of intensities, i.e. number of years between leaving the parental home and having the first child, for men and women can be found after 10–12 years. The peak durations of intensities are remarkably similar between the genders.   Conclusion: Swedish women who leave the parental home earlier than the norm are more likely to experience a speed-up effect in terms of childbearing and a slow down effect when leaving the parental home later than the norm. Thus, women stick to breaking the normative timing of the life course events once they have started. Swedish men, on the other hand, are more likely to try and catch up with age norms and instead postpone having the first child when leaving the parental home earlier than the norm and speed up having a child when leaving the parental home later than the norm. Men are thus more likely to time having children with men of the same age. / Stockholm University SIMSAM Node for Demographic Research