NSFH Wave 1 Content

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Introduction to users of NSFH2 data files (Readme)

CONTENT OF THE NATIONAL SURVEY OF FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS (1987-88)

Primary Respondent

Primary Respondent Self-Administered Questionnaire

Spouse

Partner

Tertiary

NOTE: Links to the codebook files corresponding to the headings can be found next to the section headings in the summary outline below. More than one codebook file is indicated in the few instances when the division of the codebook files does not correspond to the divisions of the sections in the outline. The data files (simply d1all.003 in the case of NSFH1), as well as these linked codebook files, can be found through the ftp link at the top of this page. The naming conventions and lists of files are described in nsfhfile.lis .

VARIABLE NAMES IN ( )

INTERVIEW WITH PRIMARY RESPONDENT

Household Composition (MCASEID-M44) c1main1.002
Detailed household composition | Children living in household | Disability or Chronic Illness; care and assistance given and received

Household History (M47-M92T04/CHKPTE2) c1main1.002 , c1main2.002
Childhood household history | Step-, half-, and full sibs | Homeleaving experience | Periods when R's parents lived with R

Marriage and Cohabitation History (M95-M163) c1main2.002 , c1main3.002
Marriage History | Cohabitation History (Currently or Previously Married) | Cohabitation History (Never Married) | Dating activities of not currently married; marriage and cohabitation plans

Social Background of First Spouse (M164-M184R) c1main3.002
Previous marriages and children | Education, socioeconomic background, religion, and intact family | Marital separations during first marriage

Married, Spouse Absent from Household (CHKPTM/M188-M201) c1main3.002
Reasons | Frequency of contact | Expected duration

Fertility History and Expectations (M202-M221) c1main3.002 , c1main4.002
Birth history | Fertility intentions

All Children Age 5 - 18 (LSTA1NUM/M246-M275P09) c1main4.002
Behavior problems| Difficulty (or ease) in raising

Children Age 0 - 18 (MFOCAL1/M276-M287/CHKPTR2) Select One Focal Child   c1main4.002
R's educational expectations for child | Separations from child | R's and spouse/partner's difficulty dealing with child
Focal child aged 0 - 4 (M288-M304)   c1main4.002
Focal child age 5 - 11 (M305A-M324R)   c1main4.002
Focal child age 12 - 18 (M325A-M355)   c1main4.002

Children with only one parent in household (CHKPTS/MFOCAL2-M385C)Select One Focal Child
c1main4.002 , c1main5.002
Information on absent parent regarding residence, marital status, other children | Child's contact with other parent | R's contacts with child's other parent | Conflict over child | Legal agreements regarding residence, visits, child support, alimony | Child support payments

Step-child/partner's child (CHKPTT/MFOCAL3-M391A) Select One Focal Child c1main5.002
Residence of absent parent of spouse's/partner's child | Child's contact with other parent | Child support payments

Children with no biological parent in household (MFOCAL4/M392-M410A) Select One Focal Child
c1main5.002
Residence of child's absent parents | Child's contact with parents | Child support payments

Biological children under age 19 living elsewhere (M411-M443C) Select One Focal Child c1main5.002
When last lived with R | Current residence | Information on other parent regarding residence, marital status, other children | R's contact with child | Conflict over child | Legal agreements regarding residence, visits, child support, alimony | Child support payments

Spouse/partner's biological children under age 19 living elsewhere (M444-M454A) Select One Focal Child
c1main5.002
When last lived with R | Current residence | Spouse's/partner's contact with child | Child support payments

Children/step-children age 19 or older in household OR children/step-children of any age away from home attending college (M455NUM-M471E) Select one focal child c1main5.002
School attendance | Financial aid | R's contribution toward schooling expenses | Child's living arrangements | Child's employment and earnings | Child's payments to R for room or board | R's payments of child's expenses

All biological and stepchildren over age 19 not away at school, but living elsewhere (M473-M482P10)
c1main5.002 , c1main6.002
Children's age, marital status, own children | Current residence | R's contact with children

Social Background (M484-M506) c1main6.002
Race | Religious preference and activity | Recent residential movement | Parent's occupation and education | Family's receipt of public assistance during R's youth

Secondary and Postsecondary Educational History (M507-M521E2) c1main6.002
High school or GED diploma | Postsecondary enrollment history | Degrees and Certificates

Military Service (M523-M527F) c1main6.002

Income, Assets and Debts (M593-M667G) c1main7.002
Income (M593-M605G)
Economic relationships with other relatives living in the household (CHKPTZ2/MFOCAL8/M606-M619)
R living in household of parent or relative (CHKPTAA/M620-M632)
First home purchase (M633-M643)
Interhousehold economic transfers (M644-M649)
Assets and Debts (M661A-M667G)
Interviewer Observations (MOB1-MLANG)

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SELF-ADMINISTERED QUESTIONNAIRE: PRIMARY RESPONDENT

SE-1 Household Tasks (E1STAT-E1I4) All Respondents c1se1-6.002
Hours per week that the respondent, the respondent's spouse, and others in the household spend doing 9 different types of household tasks.

SE-2 Well-Being, Role Performance, Health, Social Participation, Social Support (E2STAT-E223FP12) All Respondents c1se1-6.002
Happiness (Global) | Depression scale (12 items) | Evaluation of roles | Health (Global) | Alcohol or drug problems | Physical or mental limitations | Sources of help outside household | Social activities | Participation in organizations (15 types) | Help provided to and received from people outside household | Help provided to and received from each adult child

SE-3 Feelings and Plans Regarding Living with Parents (E3STAT-E309F)Respondent Living in Parental Household c1se1-6.002
How living there works out (Global) | Amount Paid to parents | Future residence plans |Areas of disagreement with parents (10 areas) | Perceived alteration of life if R moved

SE-4 Divorce and Separation Experience (E4STAT-E413I) R Was Divorced or Separated After January 1, 1977 c1se1-6.002
Who wanted marriage to end? | Current relationship with former spouse (Global) | Sources of emotional support during separation (8 sources) | Spouse's income level prior to separation | Verbal and physical arguments prior to separation | Resumption of dating | R's and spouse's involvements with others prior to divorce | Contact with former spouse | Perceived changes in life due to divorce (9 areas)

SE-5 Feelings about Marriage and Cohabitation (E5STAT-E508I)Non-married, Non-cohabiting Respondents Age 35 and Younger c1se1-6.002
Perceived changes in life if R married (9 areas) | Marital timing considerations (5 items) | Marriage considerations (12 items) | Sexual frequency | Attitudes for and against cohabitation (13 items) | Attitudes toward

SE-8 Fertility Considerations (E8STAT-E8P) R is Female Age 39 or Younger, a Single Male Age 44 or Younger, or a Married Male Whose Wife/Partner is Age 39 or Younger c1se6-13.003
Things that people consider when thinking about having a child or another child. (16 items)

SE-9 Parenting (E9STAT-E908) All Children are Under Age 5 c1se6-13.003
Time spent with children | Discipline | R's desires for child's behavior (12 items) | Step-parenting (8 items)

SE-11 Feelings About Adult Child Living in Household (SE11STAT-E1115)R Has Adult Son or Daughter Living in Household c1se6-13.003
How child living here works out (Global) | Meals with child | Time spent with child | Perceived alteration of life if child moved | Areas of disagreement with parents (10 areas) | Frequency of enjoyable or difficult times with child | R's perception of child's future residence plans | Coping with disagreement | Physical arguments

SE-12 Relationship with Children (E12STAT-E12BP14) R or Spouse/Partner Has Living Children
c1se6-13.003
Quality of relationship with each child (Global)

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SELF-ADMINISTERED QUESTIONNAIRE: HUSBAND OR WIFE OF PRIMARY RESPONDENT

c1secr1.002 , c1secr2.002
Birth date (S1M-S1F)
Ages lived with natural or step-parents (S2-S7A19)
Information about mother (S8-S16)
Information about father (S17-S26)
Brothers and sisters (S27-S37)
In-Laws (S38-S49)
Marriages and Births (S50-S54P08F)
Characteristics at marriage (S55-S59)
Cohabitation (S60-S65)
Current marriage (S66M-S84)
Fertility intentions (S85-S92)
Fertility considerations (S93A-S93P)
Relationships with children (S94-S109)
Information on absent parent of child currently in household (S110-S124C) Select focal child
Information on child age 18 or younger who does not live in household (S125-S138C) Select focal child
Adult Child Living in household (S139-S148D) Select focal child
Divorce and separation (S149-S156) If R was divorced or separated after January 1, 1977
Information about R (S157-S170)
Military, education, and occupation (S171-S206F2)
Household Tasks (S207A1-S207I4)
Income (S208-S210)
Occupation at age 50 (S211-S212C)
Attitudes (S214A-S220O)

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SELF-ADMINISTERED QUESTIONNAIRE: COHABITING PARTNER OF PRIMARY RESPONDENT

The cohabiting partner of the primary respondent completes a questionnaire, most of which is identical to that completed by spouses, except for minor changes in wording.

In the husband or wife questionnaire, questions 50 - 68 deal with marriage and cohabitation prior to marriage. This section was replaced in the partner questionnaire with the following: c1secr2.002

Dates of birth for all children (C50-C52P08F)
Times married (C53-C58)
(if previously married) How prior marriage ended (C59-C61)
Information on current cohabitation relationship (C62M-C67)
1. Date cohabitation started
2. Marriage plans

In the main questionnaire married respondents were asked the income, assets, and debt, of themselves and their spouses. Questions on these topics were not included in the spouse questionnaire. Cohabiting primary respondents were asked only about their own economic situation, and not about the situation of their partner or other household members. To complete the economic picture, a section on the partner's economic situation was included in the partner's self-administered questionnaire.

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TERTIARY QUESTIONNAIRE

A self-administered questionnaire is given to the householder when the primary respondent is the son, daughter or other relative of the householder. c1tertr.002

Householder's relationship with adult child living in household (TCOMPL-T20)
Householder's relationship with other adult relative living with householder (T21-T42)
Household Tasks (T43A1-T43I4)
Marital History (T44-T48)
Quality of relationship (Global) (T49)
Areas of disagreement with spouse (6 areas) (T50A-T50F)
Relationship with children (T51-T53P12)
Alcohol or drug problems (T54-T56F)
Information about householder and spouse (T57A-T93)
Household Income (T94NUM-T95G2)
Assets and Debts (T96A1-T99G)
Attitudes (T100A-T101O)