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Dating, Marriage & Cohabitation; Sexual Activity, Pregnancy & Fertility; Children
Fertility
Young Women Fertility Variables
Important Information
While it is difficult to construct a complete fertility history for the Young Women, many researchers do not need all this information. Those who only need the total number of children ever born to a respondent can find this information in Question 38A (R14384.00) in the 1993 interview.
In most of the Young Women surveys, information was collected about each child living in the respondent's household at the time of the interview. This information is found in the "Household Record" and includes the child's age and relationship to the respondent. Depending on the survey, the household record may also include the child's date of birth, educational attainment, labor force status, and sex. For more information about data collected in the household record (also called the "Household Roster"), see the Household Composition section of this guide.
Household record information only provides a partial picture of each respondent's fertility because it does not capture children given up for adoption, children who died, and children who reside outside the home. To remedy this problem, a number of surveys have gathered additional information about each respondent's fertility. This information is quite complex, making construction of a fertility history for the Young Women more time-consuming than for other NLS cohorts. Users will find small gaps in the collection of fertility data for respondents not consistently interviewed over time. However, close examination of household record data for new children after survey gaps can help to ameliorate this limitation.
The first set of fertility questions was asked in 1973. Respondents were asked how many children they had given birth to, how many more children they desired, and their opinion of the optimal family size. The 1978 interview collected detailed fertility information about each of up to six children born to the respondent and about each of up to five adopted children or children from an earlier marriage of her husband. Information available for each child includes sex, date of birth, life status, whether the child was still residing in the respondent's home, and, if not, the month and year the child left the household. While the adopted child roster covered the respondent's entire life, the 1978 biological roster only asked about children born since 1973.
In 1983 the fertility and adoption rosters were repeated to include children born since January 1978. Users should note that respondents who were noninterviews in 1978 do not provide information back to 1973, so these respondents would be missing fertility information for 1973-77.
Beginning in 1985, the roster format was dropped and respondents were asked the number of births since their last survey and the total number of children ever born. For each child born since the last survey, the date of birth was recorded. Respondents were also asked how many more children they expected to have overall and within the next five years.
In 1988, the fertility question format used in 1985 was repeated for births. The section was expanded, however, by a roster for adopted and other children who came to live in the household. This roster asked the name, sex, birth date, year they entered the household, life status, and date they left the household. This roster was designed to capture all nonbiological children who had entered the household since January 1983.
In the 1991 and 1993 surveys, biological births were recorded using the format instituted in the 1985 survey; the 1993 survey additionally recorded the child's sex.
Related Variables: The Intrafamily Transfers section, administered in 1999, 2001, and 2003, collected information about transfers of time and money between respondents and their children. Some demographic data were gathered as part of this collection. For more information, interested users should refer to the Transfers section of this guide.
Survey Instruments: Fertility questions can be found within the Marital History, Fertility, and Other Family Background, Children, Household Record, or Family Background sections of the questionnaires.
Mature Women Fertility Variables
Important Information
While it is difficult to construct a complete fertility history for the Mature Women, many researchers do not need all this information. Those who only need the total number of children ever born to a respondent can find this information in Question 88A (R04180.00) in the 1977 interview. If the respondent had any children between 1977 and 1982, the additional number of children is reported in Question 92A (R06343.00 ) in the 1982 survey.
In most of the Mature Women surveys, information is collected about each child living in the respondent's household at the time of the interview. This information is found in the "Household Record" and includes the child's age, date of birth, and sex. Post-1976 surveys specified whether the child was a biological or an adopted son or daughter or an adopted son or daughter by marriage. For more information about data collected in the household record (also called the "Household Roster"), see the Household Composition section of this guide.
Household record information only provides a partial picture of each respondent's fertility because it does not capture children given up for adoption, children who died, and children who resided outside the home. To remedy this problem, a series of questions asked in the 1977 survey reviewed each respondent's total fertility. This series collected detailed information about each of up to 19 children ever born to the respondent and about each of up to 5 adopted children or children from an earlier relationship of her husband. Information available for each child includes sex; date of birth; life status; whether the child was still residing in the respondent's home and, if not, the month and year the child left the household; the child's school enrollment status; and the highest grade he or she had completed.
To ensure that researchers can create a complete fertility record for each respondent, the 1982 survey asked for information about any children born or adopted since the 1977 questions were fielded. Since the women were ages 45-59 in 1982, combining these two sections likely provides a complete record of child bearing and rearing for each respondent; any additional new children should be included on the household record.
To provide researchers with a clearer picture of the socio-economic status of the respondent's children, a special set of questions was fielded in 1986. These questions asked the respondent to describe the marital and fertility history of her four oldest biological or adopted children. The series provides information for each child on sex, age, age at first marriage, number of marriages, the way the first marriage ended, number of children, highest grade attended, and highest degree received.
In addition to these large sections, information was gathered during select surveys on the total number of children ever born to the respondent, the number of children of specific age ranges living with her at the time of the interview, and the number of children she had either adopted or who had come to live in her household from her husband's previous relationships.
Related Variables: The Intrafamily Transfers section, administered in 1999 and 2003, collected information about transfers of time and money between respondents and their children. Some demographic data were gathered as part of this collection. For more information, interested users should refer to the Transfers section of this guide.
Survey Instruments: Fertility questions can be found within the Marital History, Fertility, and Other Family Background, Children, or Family Background sections of the questionnaires. Additional fertility information can be found in the Household Record ("Household Roster").
Cohorts
- NLSY97
- Topical Guide to the Data
- Asterisk Tables
- I. Employment, Unemployment, and Job Search (age restrictions as of interview date)
- II. Schooling (age restrictions as of 12/31/96)
- III. Training (age restrictions as of interview date)
- IV. Income, Assets, and Program Participation
- V. Family Formation (age restrictions as of end of previous calendar year--12/31/96 in rd 1, 12/31/97 in rd 2, and so on)
- VI. Family Background (age restrictions as of 12/31/1996)
- VII. Expectations
- VIII. Attitudes, Behaviors, and Time Use
- IX. Health (age restrictions as of 12/31/96)
- X. Political Participation
- XI. Environmental Variables (in main data set)
- Education
- Employment
- Household, Geography & Contextual Variables
- Family Background
- Marital History, Childcare & Fertility
- Income
- Health
- Attitudes
- Crime & Substance Use
- Asterisk Tables
- Intro to the Sample
- Using & Understanding the Data
- Other Documentation
- Codebook Supplement
- Introduction to the NLSY97 Created Variable Appendices
- Appendix 1: Education Variable Creation
- Enrollment Status and Highest Grade/Degree - Appendix 1
- Date Received Diploma or Degree - Appendix 1
- Number of Grades Repeated or Skipped - Appendix 1
- Number of Schools Attended - Appendix 1
- Credits Earned toward Bachelor's/Associate's Degree - Appendix 1
- Date Left High School and Highest High School Grade - Appendix 1
- Private or Parochial School - Appendix 1
- SAT/ACT Scores - Appendix 1
- Training: Receipt of Certificate or Vocational License - Appendix 1
- Appendix 2: Employment Variable Creation
- Appendix 3: Family Background and Formation
- Household Size as of Survey Date - Appendix 3
- Marital Status and Marital/Cohabitation History - Appendix 3
- Fertility and Child Status - Appendix 3
- Number of Residences since Age 12 - Appendix 3
- Current Citizenship Status - Appendix 3
- Mother's Age at First Birth/Respondent's Birth
- Relationship to Household Parent Figures (Round 1 Parent Interview) - Appendix 3
- Relationship to Household Parent Figures (Rounds 7-9 Childhood Retrospective) - Appendix 3
- Relationship to Household Parent Figures (Interview Date) - Appendix 3
- Appendix 4: Geographic Variable Creation
- Appendix 5: Income and Assets Variable Creation
- Appendix 6: Event History Creation and Documentation
- Appendix 7: Continuous Month Scheme and Crosswalk
- Appendix 8: Instrument Rosters
- Appendix 9: Family Process and Adolescent Outcome Measures
- Appendix 10: CAT-ASVAB Scores
- Appendix 11: Collection of the Transcript Data (High School)
- Appendix 12: Post-Secondary Transcript Study
- Appendix 13: Cross-Cohort NLSY79/97 Overview
- Attachment 1: Census Industrial & Occupational Classification Codes
- Geocode Codebook Supplement
- Introduction to NLSY97 Geocode Data
- Attachment 100: Census Bureau State and County Codes
- Attachment 101: Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)/Core-Based Statistical Area (CBSA) Codes
- Attachment 102: IPEDS Data and College Identification Codes
- Attachment 103: Migration Distance Variables for Respondent Locations
- Attachment 104: Codebook Pages for Geocode and Zipcode Variables
- Questionnaires
- Errata
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 17 Release
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 16 Release
- Addendum: Additional NLSY97 Speech & Post-Secondary Variables Available
- Addendum: NLSY97 Post-Secondary Data and Transcript Data Files Now Available
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 15 Release
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 14 Release
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 13 Release
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 12 Release
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 11 Release
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 10 Release
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 9 Release
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 8 Release
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 7 Release
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 6 Release
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 5 Release
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 4 Release
- Errata for NLSY97 Round 3 Release
- Tutorials
- Technical Sampling Report
- Codebook Supplement
- Get Data
- Topical Guide to the Data
- NLSY79
- Topical Guide to the Data
- Asterisk Tables
- Education
- Employment
- Employment: An Introduction
- Work Experience
- Jobs & Employers
- Class of Worker
- Discrimination
- Fringe Benefits
- Industries
- Job Characteristics Index
- Job Satisfaction
- Job Search
- Labor Force Status
- Military
- Occupations
- Time & Tenure with Employers
- Wages
- Work History Data
- Employer History Roster
- Business Ownership
- Retirement
- Household, Geography & Contextual Variables
- Family Background
- Marital History, Childcare & Fertility
- Income
- Health
- Attitudes
- Crime & Substance Use
- Intro to the Sample
- Using & Understanding the Data
- Other Documentation
- Codebook Supplement
- NLSY79 Attachment 3: Industrial and Occupational Classification Codes
- NLSY79 Attachment 4: Fields of Study in College
- NLSY79 Attachment 5: Index of Labor Unions and Employee Associations
- NLSY79 Attachment 6: Other Kinds of Training Codes
- NLSY79 Attachment 7: Other Certificate Codes
- NLSY79 Attachment 8: Health Codes
- NLSY79 Attachment 100: Geographic Regions
- NLSY79 Attachment 101: Country Codes
- NLSY79 Attachment 102: Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS)
- NLSY79 Attachment 103: Religion Codes
- NLSY79 Attachment 106: Profiles of American Youth (ASVAB Data/AFQT Scores)
- NLSY79 Appendix 1: Employment Status Recode Variables (1979-1998 and 2006)
- NLSY79 Appendix 2: Total Net Family Income Variable Creation (1979-2014)
- NLSY79 Appendix 3: Job Satisfaction Measures
- NLSY79 Appendix 4: Job Characteristics Index 1979-1982
- NLSY79 Appendix 5: Supplemental Fertility and Relationship Variables
- NLSY79 Appendix 6: Urban-Rural and SMSA-Central City Variables
- NLSY79 Appendix 7: Unemployment Rate
- NLSY79 Appendix 8: Highest Grade Completed & Enrollment Status Variable Creation
- NLSY79 Appendix 9: Linking Employers Through Survey Years
- NLSY79 Appendix 11: Round 12 (1990) Survey Administration Methods
- NLSY79 Appendix 12: Most Important Job Learning Activities (1993-94)
- NLSY79 Appendix 13: Intro to CAPI Questionnaires and Codebooks
- NLSY79 Appendix 14: Instrument Rosters
- NLSY79 Appendix 15: Recipiency Event Histories
- NLSY79 Appendix 16: 1994 Recall Experiment
- NLSY79 Appendix 17: Interviewer Characteristics Data
- NLSY79 Appendix 18: Work History Data
- NLSY79 Appendix 19: SF-12 Health Scale Scoring
- NLSY79 Appendix 20: Round 20 (2002) Early Bird and Income Recall Experiments
- NLSY79 Appendix 21: Attitudinal Scales
- NLSY79 Appendix 22: Migration Distance Variables for Respondent Locations
- NLSY79 Appendix 23: Revised Asset and Debt Variables and Computed TOTAL Net Wealth Variables
- NLSY79 Appendix 24: Reanalysis of the 1980 AFQT Data from the NLSY79
- NLSY79 Appendix 25: Attitudinal Scale Scoring
- NLSY79 Appendix 26: Non-Response to Financial Questions and Entry Points
- NLSY79 Appendix 27: IRT Item Parameter Estimates, Scores and Standard Errors
- NLSY79 Appendix 28: NLSY79 Employer History Roster
- NLSY79 Appendix 29: Date of Interview Current Status Variables
- NLSY79/97 Cross-Cohort Data
- Geocode Codebook Supplement
- Appendix 7: Unemployment Rates
- Appendix 10: Geocode Documentation
- Attachment 100: Geographic Regions
- Attachment 101: Country Codes
- Attachment 102: State FIPS Codes
- Attachment 104, Part A: 1981 Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas (SMSAs)
- Attachment 104, Part B: 1983 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs)
- Attachment 104, Part C: 1983 Consolidated MSAs and Associated Primary MSAs (CMSAs and PMSAs)
- Attachment 104, Part D: 1983 PMSAs and Associated CMSAs
- Attachment 104, Part E: 1988 MSAs, CMSAs, and Associated PMSAs
- Attachment 104, Part F: 2004 MSAs, CMSAs, and Associated PMSAs
- Attachment 104, Part G: 2006 Core-Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs)
- Attachment 105: Addendum to FICE Codes
- Attachment 106: Codebook Pages for Geocode and Zipcode Variables
- Questionnaires
- Tutorials
- Errata
- Errata for 1979-2016 Data Release
- Errata for 1979-2014 Data Release
- Errata for 1979-2012 Data Release
- Errata for 1979-2010 Data Release
- Errata for 1979-2008 Data Release
- Errata for 1979-2006 Data Release
- Errata for 1979-2004 Data Release
- Errata for 1979-2002 Data Release
- Errata for 1979-2000 Data Release
- Technical Sampling Report
- School & Transcript Surveys Documentation
- Codebook Supplement
- Get Data
- Topical Guide to the Data
- NLSY79 Child/YA
- Topical Guide to the Data
- Intro to the Sample
- Using & Understanding the Data
- Other Documentation
- Codebook Supplement
- Appendix A: HOME-SF Scales (NLSY79 Child)
- Appendix B: Composition of the Temperament Scales (NLSY79 Child)
- Appendix C: Motor & Social Development (NLSY79 Child)
- Appendix D: Behavior Problems Index (NLSY79 Child)
- Appendix D, Part 1: Composition of the BPI subscales
- Appendix D, Part 2a: BPI Anxious/Depressed Subscale
- Appendix D, Part 2b: BPI Antisocial Subscale
- Appendix D, Part 2c: BPI Dependent Subscale
- Appendix D, Part 2d: BPI Headstrong Subscale
- Appendix D, Part 2e: BPI Hyperactive Subscale
- Appendix D, Part 2f: BPI Peer Conflicts/Withdrawn Subscale
- Appendix D, Part 2g: BPI Full Scale
- Appendix D, Part 3a: BPI Internalizing Subscale
- Appendix D, Part 3b: BPI Externalizing Subscale
- Appendix D, Part 3c: BPI Total Scores
- Appendix E: Sample SPSSx Program for Merging NLSY79 Child/YA & Mother Files
- Appendix F: Sample SAS Program for Merging NLSY79 Child/YA & Mother Files
- Appendix G: NLSY79 Child Assessment Scores, Reference Numbers (2010-2014)
- Appendix H: Identification Codes in the Child and Young Adult Database
- Attachment 100: Codebook Pages for Young Adult Geocode Data
- Questionnaires
- Errata
- Errata for 2016 Child/Young Adult Release
- Errata for 2014 Child/Young Adult Release
- Data Addition: New Work and School Status Variables Created
- Errata for 2012 Child/Young Adult Release
- Errata for 2010 Child/Young Adult Release
- Errata for 2008 Child/Young Adult Release
- Errata for 2006 Child/Young Adult Release
- Errata for 2004 Child/Young Adult Release
- Errata for 2002 Child/Young Adult Release
- Errata for 2000 Child/Young Adult Release
- Research/Technical Reports
- Codebook Supplement
- Get Data
- NLS Mature and Young Women
- NLS Older and Young Men