DOI: 10.3886/icpsr06041.v2
title: National Survey of Families and Households, Wave 1: 1987-1988, [United States]
title: Version 2

description: The National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH), Wave 1 (1987-1988) is the first of three waves in a longitudinal survey that was designed to study the causes and consequences of changes happening in families and households within the United States. At a time when the range of family structures was becoming more and more diverse, this study permitted a close examination of the resulting family compositions and household operations. One adult per household was randomly selected as the primary respondent, and there was a total of 13,007 respondents. In addition to the main interview conducted with the primary respondent, a shorter, self-administered questionnaire was given to the spouse or cohabitating partner, and also administered to the householder if he or she was a relative of the primary respondent. A considerable amount of life-history information was collected, such as the respondent's family living arrangements in childhood, departures and returns to the parental home, and histories of marriage, separation, divorce, cohabitation, adoption, child custody arrangements, and stepfamily relations. Respondents were also asked about the relationship of household members to each other and the quality of their relationships with their parents, children, and in-laws. Information on economic well-being was also collected, including earnings from wages, self-employment income, interest, dividends, investments, pensions, Social Security, public assistance, and child support/alimony. Demographic information collected includes sex, age, marital status, education, and employment.
description: This study has been undertaken explicitly to provide a data resource for the research community at large and was designed with advice from a large number of consultants and correspondents. The substantive coverage has been kept broad to permit the holistic analysis of family experience from an array of theoretical perspectives.
description: The study design is cross-sectional, with several retrospective sequences.
description: The data are not weighted, however, this study contains three weight variables (SAMWT, AWEIGHT, and SPWEIGHT) that should be used in any analysis.
description: Response Rates: 74.3%
description: The National Survey of Families and Households main sample was a national, multi-stage area probability sample containing about 17,000 housing units drawn from 100 sampling areas in the 48 contiguous states in the U.S. Wave one had 13,017 respondents, of which 10 invalid/duplicate cases were removed, for a final total of 13,007 respondents. The sample included a main cross-section sample of 9,643 households. The oversample of blacks, Puerto Ricans, Mexican Americans, single-parent families and families with stepchildren, cohabiting couples and recently married was accomplished by doubling the number of households selected within the 100 sampling areas. For more information on sampling, please see Appendix L: National Survey of Families and Households: A Sampling Report within the P.I. Codebook.
description: Datasets: DS1: National Survey of Families and Households, Wave 1: 1987-1988, [United States]
description: Non-institutionalized, English or Spanish speaking population aged 19 and older, living in households within the United States. Smallest Geographic Unit: Region
description: face-to-face interview; self-enumerated questionnaireTwo percent of the interviews were conducted in Spanish.Fieldwork for Wave 1 of the National Survey of Families and Households was completed by the Institute for Survey Research at Temple UniversityThe second and third waves of NSFH can be accessed by visiting ICPSR 6906 and ICPSR 171 respectively.For additional information on the National Survey of Families and Households, please visit the NSFH Web site.