The validity of measures of socioeconomic status of adolescents

This study examines the validity of measures of socioeconomic status (SES) as reported by adolescents. Adolescents completed a self-administered quest ionnaire that included eight measures of SES. Mothers also reported on sele cted measures of SES. Supporting criterion validity, adolescents and mother s had relatively high agreement on the SES measures. Older adolescents thos e less involved in risk behaviors, and those who do better in school gave m ore accurate SES reports and/or were less likely to have missing SES data. Those in households without fathers were less likely to know fathers inform ation. Income was not asked of the adolescents. However, most adolescent-re ported SES questions varied systematically and in the expected direction wi th mothers' income report. In terms of construct validity the SES measures related to adolescent health measures in the predicted way-that is those wi th higher SES were more likely to report better physical and emotional heal th.