Page Last Updated: May 14, 2026
Demographics (Adult)đź”—
| Table Name | sed_bm_demo |
| Construct | Adult Demographics (Birth Parent/Alternative Caregiver) |
| Study Visits | V01, V04, V06 |
| Administration |
Child-specific: No Respondent: Birth Parent (V01); Birth Parent & Alternative Caregiver (V04) Method: HBCD Study Staff, in person (10 min estimated duration) |
| Quality Control | Data dashboard was monitored for variable missingness, possible coding errors, scoring verification when needed, and data consistency. High missingness was noted for income, although this is in line with expectations. |
When using HBCD data, all data users must agree to responsible use as described in the DUC. When conceptualizing studies, analyzing data, and communicating findings from studies that use variables such as race, ethnicity, country of origin, and socioeconomic data, it is critical to consider strategies to avoid stigmatization of any groups and perpetuating harmful biases.
Race and ethnicity are collected as a part of the HBCD protocol to reflect social experiences (i.e., representing social constructs), and should not be conceptualized as biological, natural, intrinsic, or fixed categories of people. In addition, researchers sometimes use race and/or ethnicity variables as proxies for unmeasured social experiences or environmental exposures. HBCD measures a wide variety of social experiences and environmental exposures. In analyzing HBCD data, race/ethnicity should not be used as a proxy for measured variables.
Participant-Reported Challenges
Some participants reported challenges in answering certain questions, such as those related to race and ethnicity (e.g. options did not capture identity) and occupation (i.e., imperfect option for job type and number of hours).
Withheld Variables/Variable Data With Small Cell Sizes
Some variables do not contain any data in the current data release (e.g., household roster response options allowed for more household members than were reported by the respondents who completed V04 to date). These variables are currently being retained, as their relevance may change as data collection proceeds.
Some variables in this release have small cell sizes (between 1 and ten people per cell). As a condition of using these data, specified in the DUC, you agree not to identify any individual from whom data was obtained and not to identify their relatives. You agree to a minimum cell threshold of 10 in any public reporting of the data (publications or presentations).
Branching Logic
There are several items that Alternate Caregivers receive with branching logic; please consult the following resources for each questionnaire to see question flow and data dictionaries for information on skip patterns. Topics with branching logic include:
| Household roster | Click to view |
| Nativity | PhenX Toolkit |
| Jobs / work environment | (1) Zachek et al., 2019 (Original instrument for the Workplace Hazard) (2) PhenX Occupation/Occupational History Toolkit |
| Items on other biological parent with opt-in responses | Click to view |
Introduction of Child Demographic Form Beginning at V04
Beginning at V04, some information that was collected in the V01 Adult Demographic form has moved to the child form (i.e., household roster, and total household income). Please see Child Demographics for more information.
Instrument Detailsđź”—
Demographic information is crucial for understanding the child’s environment and identifying how social, structural, and economic factors influence development over time in a longitudinal study of child development. The HBCD Study demographics survey at V01 was designed to gather comprehensive information on socioeconomic status and various demographic factors. Its primary purpose is to capture data on race, ethnicity, nativity, income, education, and occupation, as well as relationship status, primary residence, and household composition of the parent carrying the child, and some basic information on the other biological parent. Please see Cioffredi et al. 2024 for a detailed description of the baseline HBCD Demographics survey.
At subsequent times of assessment (i.e., V04+), a selected set of variables that can change over time were re-administered, and several new questions were added (i.e., disability status and access to reliable transportation). Of note, from V04 onward, there is a separate Child Demographics form that includes child-focused information including child race and ethnicity, relationship to the child/custody, household roster, type of residence, and household income. In addition, from V04 onward, data on caregiver work/employment characteristics are in a separate form (see Current Employment).
Below are alterations made to demographic constructs to tailor it to the HBCD Study. The modifications were made to reduce bias and capture a more inclusive and accurate breadth of demographic information, e.g., by correcting for embedded assumptions of heteronormative nuclear-family structures.
- Marital & Relationship Status alterations to reduce heteronormative bias:
- Combine "Divorced/Separated"
- "Never Married" replaced by "Single"
- "Member of an Unmarried Couple" replaced by "Partnered"
- Primary Residence destigmatization of living situations: Inclusion of options for individuals in treatment facilities, shelters, or unhoused.
- Household Roster alteration to reduce nuclear family assumptions: expansion of family/caregiver roles
- Race/Ethnicity and Others Describe You: Inclusion of racial and ethnic categories aligned with proposed OMB recommendations using a combined race and ethnicity variable with 7 response options (Federal Register 2023). Participant can select all that apply.
- Income: Alteration of household income brackets.
Table 1. Demographics of Birth Parent
| Construct | Source | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| Marital and Relationship Status | PhenX | Hamilton, et al. (2011) |
| Sexual Orientation | PhenX | Hamilton, et al. (2011) |
| Primary Residence | HBCD | Cioffredi, et al. (2024) |
| Years At Current Address | HBCD | Cioffredi, et al. (2024) |
| Household Roster | ECHO Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes | None available |
| Birthplace and Heritage | PhenX | Hamilton, et al. (2011) |
| Years Living in the United States | PhenX | Hamilton, et al. (2011) |
| Race/Ethnicity | OMBOffice of Management & Budget | Federal Register 2023 |
| Others Describe You | BRFSSBehavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System | Jones et al. 2008 |
| Biological Parents Birthplace and Heritage | PhenX | Hamilton, et al. (2011) |
| Annual Household Income | ABCDAdolescent Brain Child Development Study | Barch et al. 2017 |
| Educational Attainment | PhenX | Hamilton, et al. (2011) |
| Active-Duty Military | HBCD | Cioffredi, et al. (2024) |
| Currently Work for Pay | BFYBaby's First Years | Year 1 Protocol - G35, Mwork |
| Total Hours of Work In Last Week | HBCD | Cioffredi, et al. (2024) |
| Jobs During Pregnancy - { All Jobs - Work 35+ Hr/Wk; At Least 1 Job At 20 Hr/Wk for 1 Month; Type of Work; Job Start/Stop Dates; Typical Hours/Week } |
HBCD | Cioffredi, et al. (2024) |
| Jobs During Pregnancy - Shift Schedule | BFY Baby's First Years | Year 1 Protocol - G39, SchedMain |
| Disability | ACSUS Census Bureau's American Community Survey Disability Questions | US Census Bureau 2021 |
| Transportation | CMSCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services | AHC HRSNAccountable Health Communities Health-Related Social Needs Screening Tool |
Table 2. Demographics of Other Biological Parent (Only collected at V01 baseline interview)
| Construct | Source | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| Age | HBCD | Cioffredi, et al. (2024) |
| Race/Ethnicity | OMBOffice of Management & Budget | Federal Register 2023 |
| Birthplace and Heritage | PhenX | Hamilton, et al. (2011) |
| Years Living in The United States | PhenX | Hamilton, et al. (2011) |
| Biological Parents Country of Origin | PhenX | Hamilton, et al. (2011) |
| Education | PhenX | Hamilton, et al. (2011) |
| Job At Conception - { Work for Pay; Type of Work; Full Time/ Part Time } | HBCD | Cioffredi, et al. (2024) |
| Active-Duty Military | HBCD | Cioffredi, et al. (2024) |
| Help Out Financially | HBCD | Cioffredi, et al. (2024) |
Referencesđź”—
Barch, D. M., Albaugh, M. D., Avenevoli, S., Chang, L., Clark, D. B., Glantz, M. D., Hudziak, J. J., Jernigan, T. L., Tapert, S. F., Yurgelun-Todd, D., Alia-Klein, N., Potter, A. S., Paulus, M. P., Prouty, D., Zucker, R. A., & Sher, K. J. (2018). Demographic, physical and mental health assessments in the adolescent brain and cognitive development study: Rationale and description. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 32, 55–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2017.10.010
Cioffredi, L.-A., Yerby, L. G., Burris, H. H., Cole, K. M., Engel, S. M., Murray, T. M., Slopen, N., Volk, H. E., Acheson, A., & HBCD Social and Environmental Determinants Working Group. (2024). Assessing prenatal and early childhood social and environmental determinants of health in the HEALthy Brain and Child Development Study (HBCD). Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 69(101429), 101429. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101429
Federal Register. (2023, January 27). Initial Proposals For Updating OMB’s Race and Ethnicity Statistical Standards (Document No. 2023-01635). 88 FR 5375-5384.
Hamilton, C. M., Strader, L. C., Pratt, J. G., Maiese, D., Hendershot, T., Kwok, R. K., Hammond, J. A., Huggins, W., Jackman, D., Pan, H., Nettles, D. S., Beaty, T. H., Farrer, L. A., Kraft, P., Marazita, M. L., Ordovas, J. M., Pato, C. N., Spitz, M. R., Wagener, D., … Haines, J. (2011). The PhenX Toolkit: get the most from your measures. American Journal of Epidemiology, 174(3), 253–260. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwr193
Jones, C. P., Truman, B. I., Elam-Evans, L. D., Jones, C. A., Jones, C. Y., Jiles, R., Rumisha, S. F., & Perry, G. S. (2008). Using “socially assigned race” to probe white advantages in health status. Ethnicity & Disease, 18(4), 496–504. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19157256
US Census Bureau. (November 2021). How disability data are collected from the American community survey. Census.gov. Retrieved September 1, 2025, from https://www.census.gov/topics/health/disability/guidance/data-collection-acs.html
Zachek, C. M., Schwartz, J. M., Glasser, M., DeMicco, E., & Woodruff, T. J. (2019). A screening questionnaire for occupational and hobby exposures during pregnancy. Occupational Medicine (Oxford, England), 69(6), 428–435. https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqz094