# Presentation: 134393

## Using Data from the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG)

**Joyce Abma, Ph.D.**
**Anjani Chandra, Ph.D.**
**Stephanie Willson, Ph.D.**

## Overview

- Purpose and uses
- Sample design & methodology
- Questionnaire content

- Selected findings from 1995
- Using the Cycle 5 (1995) data
- Cycle 6 and beyond

## Social factors

**Social factors**

**Intercourse variables:**

**Intermediate variables**

- Timing of first intercourse
- Percent of women who
-   ever had intercourse
- Time spent in marriage
-   (separation, divorce)
- Frequency of intercourse

**Fertility**
**(live**
**births)**

- Race/ethnicity
- Religion
- Labor force
-   participation
- Education
- Income
- Access to
-   health care
- Family
-   background
- Community
-   environment
-   (economic,
-   social, etc.)

**Pregnancy outcome**
**(gestation) variables:**

- Miscarriage and
-   stillbirth
- Induced abortion

**Conception variables:**

- Contraceptive use
- Sterilization
- Infertility

## Uses of NSFG data

- Collect periodic data on the “intermediate variables”
- “Snapshot” of U.S. fertility, family formation, and reproductive health
- Complement vital statistics
- Track national health objectives
- Evaluate health & social policies
- Research: demographic and public health

## Children Ever Born, by Woman’s Education, 1995

- Source: Abma et al, 1997, Table 4

## Pregnancy, Live Birth, Induced Abortion & Fetal Loss Rates, 1990 & 1995

**Pregnancy, Live Birth, Induced Abortion & Fetal Loss Rates, 1990 & 1995**

- Rate per 1,000 Women

**1990**

**1995**

- Source: Ventura et al, 2000

## Percent of Women 18-29 Who Had a Birth Before 18

**Percent of Women 18-29 Who Had a Birth Before 18**

- Source: 1995 National Survey of Family Growth, Contextual Data Files

**Median Family Income at Block Level**

**Percent**

## Percent Living with Father at Time of Most Recent Delivery

**Percent Living with Father at Time of Most Recent Delivery**

**Percent **

- Source: Chandra, poster presented at PAA 1998

**Wantedness at **
**Conception**

**Mother’s Age at Delivery**

## NSFG sample (Cycles 1-5)

- Nationally representative sample of women
- Civilian non-institutionalized population of women 15-44
- Probability sample
- Multistage, stratified, cluster design

## NSFG sample (Cycles 1-5)

- Oversample black women and starting in 1995, Hispanic women
- Never-married women included starting in 1982 (Cycle 3)
- 1988 & 1995 (Cycles 4-5) based on NHIS sample

## NSFG Cycles 1-5

**1****	****1973****	****9,797****	****Ever-married**
**2****	****1976****	****8,611 ****	****Ever-married**
**3****	****1982****	****7,969****	****All**
**4****	****1988****	****8,450****	****All**
**4 (Tel)****	****1990****	****5,686****	****Reintv of ‘88**
**	****	****	****& new teens**
**5****	****1995****	****10,847****	****All**

*Cycle*

*Year*

*N*

*Women 15-44*

## Innovations in 1995 NSFG, Cycle 5

- Major changes in questionnaire content and format
- Changed mode of data collection to CAPI and Audio CASI
- $20 token of appreciation paid to respondents -- maintain response rates with longer, more sensitive interview

## Summary of 

**Questionnaire Content**
**in 1995 NSFG**
**and Selected Findings**

## Section A

- Education history
- Childhood & young adult living arrangements
- Work history
- Smoking

## Father Figure During Adolescence: U.S. women 15-44 in 1995

**Father Figure During Adolescence: U.S. women 15-44 in 1995**

- Source: Peterson, poster presented at PAA 1998

**Percent**

**Type of Father Figure:**

## Section B

- Pregnancy history, including:
- Date, outcome, gestational length of each
- Smoking in each recent pregnancy
- Prenatal care for each recent pregnancy
- All births: birth weight, payment for delivery, breastfeeding, maternity leave
- Adoption, stepchildren, foster children

## Payment for Delivery for Women’s Most Recent Birth, 1991-5

**Payment for Delivery for Women’s Most Recent Birth, 1991-5**

**Mother’s Age at Delivery**

- Source: Abma et al, 1997, Table 69

## Percent Breastfed among Babies Born 1990-1993

**Percent Breastfed among Babies Born 1990-1993**

- Source: Abma et al, 1997, Table 57

**Wantedness of Pregnancy at Conception**

**Percent**

## Section C

- Marriage history
- Cohabitation history
- First intercourse; first partner
- Partner history (last 5 years)

## Percent Likelihood that 1st Marriage Dissolves Within Ten Years

**Percent Likelihood that 1****st**** Marriage Dissolves Within Ten Years**

**Percent**

- Source: Bramlett & Mosher, forthcoming in Series 23, #22

**Age at marriage**

## Cumulative percent of females aged 15-19 who have had sex before reaching selected ages, 1988 and 1995

- Age in years

- Source: Abma and Sonenstein, 2000

- 77

- 70

- 19

- 11

- 1

- 3

- Percent

## Section D

- Current menstrual status
- Sterilization operations: type, date, reasons, reversals
- Impaired fecundity
- Nonsurgical sterility
- Subfecundity

## Source: Chandra et al, poster presented at PAA 2002

## Impaired Fecundity vs. 12 month Infertility among Married Women 15-44:  U.S., 1982-1995

**Impaired Fecundity vs. 12 month Infertility among Married Women 15-44:  U.S., 1982-1995**

- Source: Chandra & Stephen, 1998

**Percent**

## Section E

**Contraceptive history**
-  Ever used
-  First used
-  Month-by-month method calendar for last 5 years
-  Consistency of recent use
-  Method use at last (recent) sex
**Wantedness status of each pregnancy**
-  Wanted / mistimed / unwanted
-  Ambivalence measure

## Type of Contraceptive Used Among Women 15-44 Who Currently Use Contraception:  U.S., 1995

**Type of Contraceptive Used Among Women 15-44 Who Currently Use Contraception:  U.S., 1995**

**Method:**

- Source: Piccinino & Mosher, 1998

## Percent of Women 15-29 Currently Using Condom

**Percent of Women 15-29 Currently Using Condom**

**Percent**

**Age in years**

- Source:  Piccinino & Mosher, 1998

## Percent of Births 1991-95 Unwanted by Mother at Time of Conception

**Percent of Births 1991-95 Unwanted by Mother at Time of Conception**

- Source: Abma et al, 1997, Table 15

**Percent**

## Sections F & G

- Family planning services
- Other medical services
- Focus on use of Title X Clinics
- Focus on last 12 months
- Birth expectations in future

## Use of Family Planning or Medical Services in Past Year Among Women 15-44:  U.S., 1995

**Use of Family Planning or Medical Services in Past Year Among Women 15-44:  U.S., 1995**

**Percent**

- Source:  Abma et al, 1997, Table 74

## 1982

**1982**

**1988**

**1995**

**Ever-Married Childless Women Age 35-44: Childbearing Expectations and Fecundity**

- (Expect 1 or more)

- (Expect 0, fecund)

- (Expect 0, impaired fecundity)

- Source: Abma & Martinez, Paper Presented at PAA, 2002

## Section H

- Infertility services
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
- Sexually transmitted infections
- Other reproductive health-related conditions & behaviors
- HIV testing

## Percent of Women 15-44 Ever Treated for PID

**Percent of Women 15-44 Ever Treated for PID**

- Source:  Abma et al, 1997, Table 89

**Age at first sex**

- Percent

## Section I

- Residence (current, 1990, at birth)
- Religion – affiliation, attendance
- Race and Hispanic origin
- Attitudes toward family and gender roles
- Occupation & income
- Health insurance coverage
- Child care

## Percent Uninsured Among Women 15-44

- Source: 1995 National Survey of Family Growth

**Percent**

**Percent Uninsured Among Women 15-44**

**Notes:**
Source: 1995 National Survey of Family Growth, NCHS

## Section J (Audio CASI)

- Abortion re-reporting
- Forced sexual intercourse
- Family violence (teens only)
- Numbers of sexual partners (re-reported)
- Other sensitive items related to sexual behavior & STD/HIV risk

## Percent of Unmarried Women Reporting 4 or More Male Sexual Partners in Past Year, Interviewer versus Self-administered mode

**Percent of Unmarried Women Reporting 4 or More Male Sexual Partners in Past Year, Interviewer versus Self-administered mode**

- Source: Abma et al, 1997, Table 27

**Percent**

## Using the 1995 NSFG

- Several data files available
- Common CASEID allows linkage of information across files
- Access procedures vary due to confidentiality and sensitivity of data
- Summary of all files and access procedures in your handout

## 1995 NSFG data files available

- Public Use Files
- Respondent file
- Pregnancy (interval) file
- Omitted Items File
- Fieldwork File
- Contextual Data Files

## 1995 NSFG - sample weights

- Adjust for:
- Differential probability of selection
- Location rates
- Nonresponse rates
- Post-stratification (age, race, marital status, parity); noncoverage
- Further details:  Consult Series 2, #124

## 1995 NSFG - variance estimation

- Complex sample design must be accounted for to make accurate inferences
-  Requirements for accurate estimation
- Fully adjusted weight (POST_WT)
- Collapsed strata variable (COL_STR)
- Panel identifier (PANEL)
- For reference and further details:  Series 2, #124

## NSFG Public Use Data Files

- Available on cartridge tape
- Cycles 1, 2, 4, 5 available on CD-ROM (3 soon)
- 1995: extensive documentation (also on web)
- User’s Guide
- Codebook
- CAPI Reference Questionnaire

## 1995 NSFG - Contextual data files

- Restricted use
- Several access options, including NCHS RDC
- Community characteristics
- 4 levels of aggregation (state, county, census tract, block group)
- 3 points in time (1990, 1993, 1995)

## 1995 NSFG - Contextual data files

- 10,847 woman-records with linkage to over 1000 contextual variables including geocoding variables.
- Access restricted due to confidentiality & disclosure concerns.
- Rich potential for descriptive as well as detailed multilevel analyses.

## NCHS Research Data Center

- Contextual data files
- State level indicators (user-supplied)
- NHIS linked analyses (1988 & 1995)
- RDC Contact:  Kenneth Harris
- Email:	rdca@cdc.gov

## NSFG - limitations

- Limited ability to make reliable sub-national estimates
- Health information not verified
- Complex to analyze

## NFSG - strengths

- Large, representative sample
- High response rates and low item nonresponse
- Broad range of data spanning proximate and more distal factors affecting fertility
- Analytic depth
- Event history data
- Contextual data

## Cycle 6 and beyond

- Shorter intervals between Cycles
- Cycle 6 in 2002
- Cycle 7 in 2005
- Sample independent from NHIS
- Contextual data
- Inclusion of males 15-44
- Other design options possible

## Inclusion of males 15-44

- Other half of fertility and family formation equation
- 1996 Welfare Reform Act
- Fatherhood Initiative (federal interagency effort)
- Information collected directly

## Cycle 6 Pretest

- March-August 2001
- About 600 completed interviews
- Females 15-44; Males 15-44
- 4 primary areas:  3 MSAs; 1 rural area

## Experiment	Results	Decision		For Main		Study
Question format for	More men report use 	Repeat method use at last sex 	with separate question 	experiment	format experiment	(preserve time	than with combined format	series, allow		male-female		comparability							

**Question format for**	More men report use 	Repeat **method use at last sex **	with separate question 	experiment	format experiment	(preserve time	than with combined format	series, allow		male-female		comparability

**Interview Experiment****(Conducted in Pretest, repeated in Main Study)**

## Key Design Information Learned from Cycle 6 Pretest

- Pretest instruments were too long
- Difficult for interviewers to learn both female and male protocols
- Training staff needs more time to prepare; need adherence to schedule
- Interviewer hours per interview too high
- Interviewer attrition rates costly

## Between Pretest & Main Study...

- Cut the questionnaires considerably
- Improved interviewer recruitment & retention
- Screening & Interviewing Procedures
- Offered $40 token of appreciation to respondents

## Instrument			   Goal  	Actual

Male (Pretest)		    60	  	  91 
Female (Pretest)		    80		126

Male (July estimate)		     60		   59
Female (July estimate)	     80		   86

- Male (Pretest)		    60	  	  91
- Female (Pretest)		    80		126
- Male (July estimate)		     60		   59
- Female (July estimate)	     80		   86

**Changes in Interview Length****btw/Cycle 6 Pretest and Main Study**

## Male NSFG will shed light on:

- Father involvement & activities
- Coresidential kids <= 18 yrs
- Noncoresidential biolog/adoptv kids <=18 yrs
- Child support
- Male reporting of pregnancies/births
- Male reporting of sexual partnerships
- Male contraceptive behavior
- Male role in unintended pregnancy
- Male infertility
- STD/HIV risk & transmission

## Female NSFG in Cycle 6

- All core topics maintained from Cycle 5
- Expanded Audio CASI
- Streamlined event histories
- Other selected enhancements based on questionnaire design research

## Let’s look at the handout... 

- Overview of 1995 NSFG
- 1995 data files: content & ordering information
- One-page outlines of Cycle 6 female & male questionnaires

## Questions?Comments?