Child
Created variables
- AGEPTRyyyy. AGE OF PARTNER OF MOTHER IN HOUSEHOLD OF MOTHER
- AGESPSyyyy. AGE OF SPOUSE OF MOTHER IN HOUSEHOLD OF MOTHER
- AGFAMYyyyy. AGE OF YOUNGEST FAMILY MEMBER IN HOUSEHOLD OF MOTHER
- AGHYSTyyyy. AGE OF YOUNGEST MEMBER UNDER 18 IN HOUSEHOLD OF MOTHER
- AGRYSTyyyy. AGE OF YOUNGEST CHILD OF MOTHER IN HOUSEHOLD OF MOTHER
- DADHHyyyy. IS FATHER/STEP/GRANDFATHER OF MOTHER PRESENT IN HOUSEHOLD OF MOTHER?
- HGCPTRyyyy. HIGHEST GRADE COMPLETED BY PARTNER IN HOUSEHOLD OF MOTHER
- HGCSPSyyyy. HIGHEST GRADE COMPLETED BY SPOUSE IN HOUSEHOLD OF MOTHER
- MOMHHyyyy. IS MOTHER/STEP/GRANDMOTHER OF MOTHER PRESENT IN HOUSEHOLD OF MOTHER?
- NADFMMyyyy. # ADULT FAMILY MEMBERS IN HOUSEHOLD OF MOTHER
- NAHGC0yyyy. # ADULTS IN HH OF MOTHER WITH HIGHEST GRADE COMPLETED LESS THAN 12 YEARS
- NAHGC1yyyy. # ADULTS IN HH OF MOTHER WITH HIGHEST GRADE COMPLETED = 12 - 13 YEARS
- NAHGC2yyyy. # ADULTS IN HH OF MOTHER WITH HIGHEST GRADE COMPLETED = 14 - 15 YEARS
- NAHGC3yyyy. # ADULTS IN HH OF MOTHER WITH HIGHEST GRADE COMPLETED = 16 YEARS OR MORE
- NBISIByyyy. # BIOLOGICAL SIBLINGS OF MOTHER IN HOUSEHOLD OF MOTHER
- NFADWKyyyy. # FEMALE ADULTS (AGE 18+) HH OF MOTHER WHO WORKED FULL TIME OR PT-TIME LAST YEAR
- NFAMEMyyyy. # FAMILY MEMBERS IN HOUSEHOLD OF MOTHER
- NH0_2yyyy. # HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS AGED 0 - 2 IN HOUSEHOLD OF MOTHER
- NH12_17yyyy. # HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS AGED 12 - 17 IN HOUSEHOLD OF MOTHER
- NH3_5yyyy. # HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS AGED 3 - 5 IN HOUSEHOLD OF MOTHER
- NH6_11yyyy. # HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS AGED 6 - 11 IN HOUSEHOLD OF MOTHER
- NHADLTyyyy. # ADULTS (AGE 18 +) IN HOUSEHOLD OF MOTHER
- NHADWKyyyy. # ADULTS (AGE 18+) IN HH OF MOTHER WHO WORKED FULL TIME OR PT-TIME IN LAST YEAR
- NHCHLDyyyy. # HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS UNDER 18 IN HOUSEHOLD OF MOTHER
- NHFADTyyyy. # FEMALE ADULTS (AGE 18+) IN HOUSEHOLD OF MOTHER
- NHFCHDyyyy. # FEMALE HH MEMBERS UNDER 18 IN HOUSEHOLD OF MOTHER
- NHHMEMyyyy. # HH MEMBERS IN HOUSEHOLD OF MOTHER
- NRSKIDyyyy. # CHILDREN OF MOTHER IN HOUSEHOLD OF MOTHER
- PARTNRyyyy. IS PARTNER OF MOTHER PRESENT IN HOUSEHOLD OF MOTHER?
- SPOUSEyyyy. IS SPOUSE OF MOTHER PRESENT IN HOUSEHOLD OF MOTHER?
Since the NLSY79 children eligible for interview in the survey are living at least part-time with their mothers, the mother's main Youth household record is used to describe the cross-sectional composition of the child's household. Constructed cross-sectional variables, found in the MATERNAL HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION area of interest, describe the people living in the child's mother's household in each survey round.
Variables in the maternal household series include: number of family members, family units, children and adults present at date of interview. In the Created Variables section above is a list of the 30 variables constructed for each survey round. In each survey year, the same variable or question names are used, appended with the interviewer year.
The family unit includes members related by blood, marriage, or adoption who share the same household. The household unit additionally includes others living in the same residence as the respondent. There are also indicators of whether a spouse, partner, mother, or father of the child's mother is present as well as the number of household members present in various age ranges.
These household and family variables are created from the yearly household enumeration roster in the mother's main Youth record. As this information is provided for all survey dates, some variables describe the composition of the mother's household prior to the birth of a particular child.
Variables referring to whether a spouse or partner is present in the household are based strictly on the main Youth household record, not on the marital section of the main Youth questionnaire.
The variables describing the number of children of the mother are based on a count of biological, adopted and stepchildren in the total. They are not limited to children born to the mother.
| Survey Instruments | Questions about maternal household composition are asked as part of the mother's main Youth interview. |
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| Areas of Interest | Maternal Household Composition |
Young Adult
Created variables
NUMINHHyyyy. Number of Household Members in HH of R. A year-specific variable is available for each survey year beginning in 1996.
Important information
It is important for users to note that even when the Young Adult is living with their mother, the mother's version of household composition and the Young Adult's version may not correspond. This can occur because either the mother or the Young Adult omitted household members or because interview dates were different. No attempt is made to reconcile across mother's and Young Adult's household records.
The Young Adult household interview closely parallels the household interview for the Main Youth, although prior to 2010 no pre-existing information was incorporated into the instrument for Young Adults. Each Young Adult goes through the household composition questions even if they live in their mother's household. The questionnaire first establishes the type of residence that best describes the Young Adult's current usual living arrangement as this information is critical to be able to appropriately branch Young Adults throughout the survey. The survey asks about biological parental presence. If the Young Adult resides with neither biological parent, the survey then asks for usual living arrangements. Questions are then asked about the identification, gender (if necessary), age, and relationship to the Young Adult of each person usually living in the household. Prior to 2000, questions concerning the highest grade completed and work of household members were also asked, but these were eliminated in 2000.
The public release version of the questionnaire allows users to see the way in which these data were collected from each respondent. However, the data that are made available to the user come from a final household roster which is thoroughly cleaned prior to release to ensure that users have access to the most accurate household data on each Young Adult.
| Comparison to Other NLS Surveys |
The NLSY79 has collected detailed household composition data in all survey rounds, including the age, gender, age, highest grade completed, and workforce status of all household members. All children born to NLSY79 mothers are included in the NLSY79 Child data set. Summary variables based on the mother's household composition are made available in that data set for each survey rounds. Information on the respondent's household is available for all other cohorts for most survey years. Data generally include the age, sex, relationship to the respondent, and educational attainment of all occupants; the enrollment status of those of school age; and the occupation and weeks worked of residents age 14 and older. In the pre-1980 surveys of the Original Cohorts, data were generally collected only for family members living in the respondent's household and not for unrelated household members. For more precise details about the content of each survey, consult the appropriate cohort's User's Guide using the tabs above for more information. |
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| Survey Instruments | Questions on household composition are found in the Young Adult Instrument, Section 1, Household Interview. |
| Areas of Interest | YA Household Record |