Comparing Old NLSY Sibling Data to New NLSY Sibling Data: Sexuality and Fertility Patterns in the NLSY

Joseph L. Rodgers, University of Oklahoma

The NLSY79 and the NLSY-Children surveys include all biological children in a sampled household, and have been the basis for many sibling studies (including behavior genetic studies). However, genetic relatedness of siblings in these surveys has never been assessed directly, through survey questions, but rather has been inferred with kinship algorithms (using external information about living relationships). The first direct assessments are now available in the 2006 datasets. In this study, I present descriptive analyses of the direct survey questions. Next, I present a matching analysis showing similarities and differences in the number of twins, full siblings, half siblings, cousins, and adoptive siblings across the two methods. Finally, I present analyses of female measures of age at first intercourse and age at menarche. These outcomes have been studied extensively using inferred links, and provide comparison of model-based results from the two approaches to ascertaining kinship relatedness.