Disability reporting choices by married couples: Evidence from census data

The purpose of this paper is to analyze determinants of the decision to sel f-report health impairments that limit or prevent work. Its particular focu s is on joint reporting behavior by married couples, with a view toward pot ential interdependence of spouses' reporting decisions. The model is based on a large sample of married couples taken from the 1990 Public Use Microda ta Sample of the U.S. Census. Empirical analysis is based on a simultaneous probit model of spouses' reports. Results of the analysis show evidence of an association between spouses' reports, after controlling for important b ackground variables. The extent of association appears to be more pronounce d among low earners and among older wives.