Full results are shown in column (7) of table 204 and may be com- observed in the population being

rved in the population being studied. Among these stable popu­

pared with the reported age distribution shown in colnmn (8). lations, the one having the same growth rate as the reported popula­
tion is preferable.
3. Comparison with a standard age distribution Step 4: the Y-transformation of the standard age distribution. Steps 1
(a) Basis of method and its raţionale and 2 are repeated for the selected standard age distribution.
Step 5: relation of the Y-transformations of the reported and standard
In some circumstances, when the quality of the age data is poor or age distributions. A
second-degree polynomial is assumed to represent
when ages seem to be aflected by systematic misreporting other than
the ralationship between the y-transformations of the reported and
heaping, some adjustment procedure tnore drastic than that described
the standard age distributions. To simplify the fitting procedura, the
in subsection B.2 may be necessaty. One approach to such adjustment
polynomial selected is that passing through the origin, the mean of a
involves the comparison of the reported age distribution with some
first group of points and the mean of a second group of points. where
standard age distribution, followed by the adjustment of the standard
the groups used are of equal size but exclude any extreme values that
age distribution to reflect the main features of the reported one; the
fall well away from a likely parabola. Therefore, the fitted equation
result should be an age distribution that retains some of the broad
characteristics of the reported distribution while at the same time has the form
being free of obvious bias.
Y(x)= a(YS(x))2+PYS(x), (B.7)
In practice, a stable population derived from a suitable model life
table and having a reasonable rate of growth for the application in where a and f t can be estimated as
hand can be used as the standard age distribution, particularly if there
is reason to believe that the actual population is stable or quasi-stable.
The comparison of the reported and model distributions is made easier l °_1(î» (B.8)
l ys,-ys ys, fs 2
by the use of a transformation that linearizes the ralationship between 2
age and the cumulated proportion of the population under each age.
In growing populations, such as those of most developing countries, a and
suitable transformation is
y _
T(;O=ln[(1.0+C(x))/(1.0-C(*))] (B.6) j8= -=r- — a Y2S 2 (B.9)
YS2

where C ( x ) is the proportion of the population under age x . From
here on, the transformation defined by equation (B.6) is referred to as
the y-transformation. Values of Y (x ) for the population in question
can be plotted against standard values, Y S (x ), for a suitable standard
stable population; and deviations from an approximately parabolic
ralationship can be noted (in practice, when the data are not
extremely distorted, this ralationship deviates only very slightly from
that represented by a straight line). An adjusted age distribution can
be obtained by fitting a curve to the points that are regarded as least
biased and then reversing the transformation process to obtain a
smooth cumulated age distribution. Tests with model populations
have suggested that adequate results can be obtained by fitting a
second-degree polynomial (a parabola) to the selected points, a pro­
cess that is simplified because one can require the fitted parabola to
pass through the origin (since the population proportion under age
zero has to be zero) and through the means of both the first half and
the second half of the selected points.
The following data are required for this method;
(b) Dala required
(o) The population classified by sex and five-year age group;
(b) A standard age distribution by five-year age group. A stable
population subject to a growth rate and mortality risks similar to those
of the population being studied is usually a suitable choice.
(c) Computaţional procedare
The steps of the computaţional procedure are described below.
Step 1: calcuiation ofproportions under ages ending in zero or fire. The
proportion of the population under each age x, denoted by C(x ) , is
found by summing the populations of each five-year age group below
the age in question and dividing the resulting sum by the total popula­
tion of known age, that is, excluding those of unstated age.
Step 2: calcuiation of Y-transformation of the reported
under ages fire years aport. The y-transformation of each of the C ( x )
proportions calculated in the previous step is obtained by using equa­
tion (B.6). /For the sake of completeness, this equation is repeated
here:
where ( Y S „ Fi) and (FS2, Fi) are the mean points for the first and
the second groups, respectively. As usual, YS denotes the F-
transformation of the standard.
Step 6: calcuiation of estimated age distribution. Having estimated a
and P , equation (B.7) can be used to obtain adjusted values of the F-
transformation, Y * (x ), which can, in turn, be inverted to produce esti-
mates of an adjusted age distribution. For the sake of completeness,
equation (B.10) indicates how the adjusted values F*(x) are obtained
and equation (B.l I) shows how an estimate of the adjusted C * ( x ), the
estimated proportion under age x , is calculated:
Y*(x)=a(YS(x))2+PYS(x); (B.10)
C•(*) = (exp[ F*(x)] -1.0)/( exp{ F*(x)] +1.0). (B. 11)
Tbese C*(jc) proportions can be multiplied by the total reported
population to find the estimated number of persons under age x, and
estimates of the population in five-year age groups can then be
obtained by subtraction.
(d) A detailed example
Once more, the age distribution of the male population of Sri
Lanka, as recorded by the fertility survey in 1975, is used to illustrate
this method (see table 203).
Step 1: calcuiation of proportions under ages ending in zero or fire.
Column (2) of table 205 shows the proportions under each age x. mul­
tiple of five, denoted by C ( x ) , also including in this case that under
age I.
Step 2: calcuiation of Y-transformation of the reported proportions
The proportions C ( x ) calculated in the
under ages x five years aport.
previous step are transformed, using equation (B.6), into Y (x ) values.
Thus, for age 15,
proportions
F(15)=ln[(1.0+C(15))/(l.0-C(15))]
= ln[( 1.0 +0.3716)/( 1.0 -0.3716)] = 0.7806.

Y (x )= ln((l.0+C(x))/(1.0—C(x))].
Note that the y-transformation of any proportion C ( x ) assumes
values ranging from zero to infinity.
Step 3: selection of a standard age distribution. The standard popula­
tion age distribution, against which the reported population is to be
compared, should be selected from that of stable populations whose
mortality level and pattem approximate as dosely as possible those
(B.6) The full set of Y(x) values is shown in column (4) of table 205.
Step 3: selection of a standard age distribution. Procedures for fitting a
stable population to the one observed are presented in chapter VII
and need not be described again here. For Sri Lanka, a West model
stable population of mortality level 18, with a growth rate of 0.030,
was selected. The proportions under each age x for this population
are shown in column (3) of table 205. They are referred to below as
“standard proportions”.

244