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Coding of Frequency Variables [message #14359]

Tue, 27 March 2018 12:47

ebmoran
Messages: 3
Registered: March 2018

Member

I am working with a merged data set of 53 DHS surveys for sub-Saharan Africa across time and I am looking to clarify how some of the coding was transformed from the survey format into the recode format. For the variables dealing with the frequency of reading a newspaper, watching TV, and listening to the radio, the frequencies are indicated on surveys as: "ALMOST EVERY DAY ..............................1
AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK .......................2
LESS THAN ONCE A WEEK ....................3
NOT AT ALL..............................................4"

but they appear in R as 0-3. Has the scale been shifted down one integer and 0=Almost every day or has the scale been flipped to indicate a more intuitive order 0=Not at all?

Does this logic hold for other variables that have been recoded similarly?

Thanks!

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Re: Coding of Frequency Variables [message #14362 is a reply to message #14359]

Tue, 27 March 2018 14:14

Bridgette-DHS
Messages: 3230
Registered: February 2013

Senior Member

Following is a response from Senior DHS Stata Specialist, Tom Pullum:

You should specify exactly which survey and variable name you are talking about. Usually the codes do not change, but for this one, "never" or not at all is assigned to code 0 rather than 4.

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