The phrase "a valid proxy for" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing a substitute or stand-in measure that represents or approximates another variable or concept.
Example: "In this study, we found that income level is a valid proxy for measuring overall economic well-being."
Alternatives: "an acceptable substitute for" or "a reliable stand-in for".
So we should accept these self-reports as a valid proxy for what we care about.
By comparing P fractions of soil and recent lake sediment samples, these fractions are shown to be a valid proxy for landscape-scale nutrient status.
Sekara and Lehmann [29] studied how to deploy the electronic datasets as a valid proxy for real life social interactions, and found that the strength of electronic signals can be used to distinguish between strong and weak friendship ties.
This test is based on the (common) assumption that sexual dichromatism is a valid proxy for the intensity of sexual selection [e.g.41], [42].
Under such circumstances, physical parasite sex ratios assessed only from hosts (as is the case in most parasitological studies) are likely to not represent a valid proxy for operational sex ratios [38] [40].
If analysis of EBC formate concentration is indeed a valid proxy for GSNOR activity, EBC formate might be used as a non-invasive measure to identify asthmatic patients at risk for GSNO depletion to receive therapies designed to enhance or replace endogenous GSNO levels.
Protocol name represents a valid proxy of disease risk, allowing for risk stratification while conducting comparative effectiveness research using cancer registries and health services data.
Self-report of missteps in older adults: a valid proxy of fall risk?
Treatment-based risk algorithms would therefore not be a valid proxy of disease risk.
We found that for children with ALL, a risk stratification system based on treatment protocol as recorded in a population-based pediatric cancer registry was a valid proxy of disease risk as compared to biology-based risk algorithms.
Due to these results bedtime exposure levels were not considered to be a valid proxy of night time exposure.
