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National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97)

Age

Created and Symbol Variables

CV_AGE_INT_DATE. Provides respondent's age in years at the date of interview.

CV_AGE_MONTHS_INT_DATE. Provides respondent's age in continuous months as of the interview date.

CV_AGE_12/31/96. Provides age of respondent in round 1 calculated as of December 31, 1996.

KEY!BDATE_Y. Provides respondent's year of birth (1980-1984).

KEY!BDATE_M. Provides respondent's month of birth (January through December).

Important Information About Using Age Variables

  1. There are three variables that provide the youth's age in years: CV_AGE_INT_DATE, KEY!AGE, and SYMBOL!KEY!AGE. Researchers should use CV_AGE_INT_DATE for the most accurate information. Background information on the age variables: The KEY!AGE variable is a symbol generated during the administration of the Screener, Household Roster, and Nonresident Roster Questionnaire in round 1. Thus, it initially represented the respondent's age at the screener date. During the youth interview, respondents had an opportunity to correct their age if it had changed since the administration of the screener or was reported incorrectly by the household informant. If a new age was provided, the KEY!AGE variable was updated. However, approximately 400 respondents either had a birthday between the screener date and the youth interview date or had incorrect information collected during the screener but did not correct their age information during the interview. SYMBOL!KEY!AGE (R25162.) is a variable generated during rounds 2 and up and is necessary because the survey program uses it during the interview. The ages in SYMBOL!KEY!AGE and CV_AGE_INT_DATE vary slightly in some rounds due to computer programming variations. This is why researchers are urged to use the created age at interview date variable, CV_AGE_INT_DATE, which presents the youth's age at the time the survey is administered. This latter variable is constructed using birth date and interview date information collected during the interview. 
  2. Because some respondents were first interviewed during the refielding period in March through May 1998, there are respondents in the sample who had already turned 18 by their round 1 interview date. These respondents were still eligible for the sample because they were age 16 or younger as of December 31, 1996. See Interview Methods for more information.
  3. The youth respondent and the responding parent both had an opportunity to verify or correct the respondent's age as reported in the Screener, Household Roster, and Nonresident Roster Questionnaire in round 1. However, if the youth and parent did not provide the same age and/or date of birth, no attempt was made to correct this discrepancy. Users should make decisions about these cases on an individual basis. The created variables for age are based on the youth data.

The NLSY97 collected information on the respondent's age and date of birth in the round 1 Screener, Household Roster, and Nonresident Roster Questionnaire. This information was then verified or corrected by the respondent in the initial Youth Questionnaire and by the responding parent in the round 1 Parent Questionnaire. Date of birth and age were not recollected from respondents in subsequent rounds.

Table 1. Age of NLSY97 Respondents as of 12/31/96
Age (birth year) Male Female Total
12 (1984) 911 860 1771
13 (1983) 934 873 1807
14 (1982) 953 888 1841
15 (1981) 947 927 1874
16 (1980) 854 837 1691
Total 4599 4385 8984
Note: Table based on KEY!SEX and CV_AGE_12/31/96
Table 2a. Age of NLSY97 Respondents as of Interview Date (R1-10)
Age R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 R10
12 1169 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
13 1726 105 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
14 1858 1597 109 -- -- -- -- -- -- --
15 1877 1676 1664 58 -- -- -- -- -- --
16 1719 1736 1632 1555 67 -- -- -- -- --
17 614 1747 1728 1667 1548 -- -- -- -- --
18 21 1416 1622 1657 1620 1620 113 -- -- --
19 -- 109 1387 1606 1610 1591 1501 52 -- --
20 -- -- 67 1402 1588 1651 1605 1447 83 --
21 -- -- -- 136 1339 1588 1590 1519 1444 133
22 -- -- -- -- 111 1447 1570 1554 1502 1475
23 -- -- -- -- -- -- 1297 1535 1537 1541
24 -- -- -- -- -- -- 79 1299 1473 1581
25 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 97 1235 1548
26 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 64 1234
27 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 47
Total 8984 8386 8209 8081 7883 7897 7755 7503 7338 7559
Nonint -- 598 775 903 1101 1087 1229 1481 1646 1425
Note: Table based on CV_AGE_INT_DATE.
Table 2b. Age of NLSY97 Respondents as of Interview Date (R11-19)
Age R11 R12 R13 R14 R15 R16 R17 R18 R19
22 187 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
23 1461 163 -- -- -- -- -- -- --
24 1534 1456 262 -- -- -- -- -- --
25 1534 1509 1494  146 -- -- -- -- --
26 1483 1575 1553 1469 282 -- -- -- --
27 1198 1527 1539 1497 1484 -- -- -- --
28 21 1215 1545 1565 1507 58 -- -- --
29 -- 45 1152 1520 1513 1335 -- -- --
30 -- -- 14 1248 1546 1454 132 -- --
31 -- -- -- 34 1075 1455 1353 -- --
32 -- -- -- -- 16 1476 1437 40 --
33 -- -- -- -- -- 1261 1494 1171 --
34 -- -- -- -- -- 102 1454 1345 194
35 -- -- -- -- -- -- 1164 1412 1353
36 -- -- -- -- -- -- 69 1382 1396
37 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 1197 1439
38 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 187 1424
39 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 1087
40 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 54
Total 7418 7490 7559 7479 7423 7141 7103 6734 6947
Nonint 1566 1494 1425 1505 1561 1843 1881 2250 2037
Note: Table based on CV_AGE_INT_DATE.
Table 2c. Age of NLSY97 Respondents as of Interview Date (R20 forward)
Age R20 Future R  Future R  Future R  Future R  Future Rn Future R Future R Future R
36 192 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
37 1250 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
38 1361 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
39 1361 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
40 1411 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
41 1041 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
42 97 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
43 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
44 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
45 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
46 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
47 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
48 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
49 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
50 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
51 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
52 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
53 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
54 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Total 6713 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Nonint 2271 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Note: Table based on CV_AGE_INT_DATE.

Comparison to Other NLS Surveys: Age data are available for all NLS cohorts. These variables include both the age of the respondents as of a fixed date during the initial survey year and as of the interview date in various years. Month and year of birth are also available for all cohorts. Consult the appropriate cohort's User's Guide for information about accessing these data.

Survey Instruments: This information was collected in the household roster section of the Screener, Household Roster, and Nonresident Roster Questionnaire (round 1). Verification or correction of the information is found in the youth information section (question names begin with YINF) of the round 1 Youth Questionnaire and the PINF section of the Parent Questionnaire (round 1).

Related User's Guide Sections Household Composition
Characteristics of Non-Residential Relatives
Parent Characteristics
Main Area of Interest Demographic Indicators
Supplemental Areas of Interest Common Variables