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Home » Countries » Other countries » Cambodia DHS 2010 - variables with $ in the name
Cambodia DHS 2010 - variables with $ in the name [message #64] Mon, 18 February 2013 18:13 Go to next message
DHS user is currently offline  DHS user
Messages: 111
Registered: February 2013
Senior Member
I am currently analyzing some aspects of the Cambodia DHS 2010 in SPSS 19. I have a question with regards to the Individual Women's data (IR).

There are a few variables with respect to Maternity that contain $1 - $6 in the code. For example, variable M2A which is 'Prenatal: doctor or medical assistant' is described on the file as M2A$1 - M2A$6 but only M2A$1 has 6445 valid entries while there remaining ones M2A$2-M2A$6 have zero valid entries. For variable M3A 'Type of person who assisted the delivery of the child' the same applies but M3A$1 has 6442 entries, M3A$2 has 1619, M3A$3 has 141, M3A$4 has 7 valid entries and the remaining two M3A$5-M3A$6 have 0 entries.

What is the difference between the variables (i.e. between M2A$1 - M2A$6)

Re: Cambodia DHS 2010 - variables with $ in the name [message #463 is a reply to message #64] Wed, 22 May 2013 12:02 Go to previous message
Bridgette-DHS is currently offline  Bridgette-DHS
Messages: 3017
Registered: February 2013
Senior Member
Multiple or repeating records are placed one after the other on the record, with the maximum number of occurrences of each section being represented in every case. Each variable in a repeating section is placed immediately after the preceding variable of the same occurrence, such that all variables for occurrence 1 precede all variables for occurrence 2 of a section.

Multiple occurring variables and sections of data represent the main disadvantage to flat files. Each occurrence of every such variable must have its own name because statistical packages do not generally support the use of arrays or subscripts. For example, the third occurrence of the variable named MM11 would be named MM11$03 in SPSS, or MM11_03 in SAS and STATA.
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