DOI: 10.3886/icpsr06170.v2
title: First Malaysian Family Life Survey, 1976-1977
title: Version 2

description: The First Malaysian Family Life Survey, 1976-1977 (MFLS-1), was conducted in Peninsular Malaysia as a retrospective life history survey of 1,262 households containing an ever-married woman aged 50 or younger. Full life histories were collected through personal interviews with these women and their husbands regarding fertility-related events, marriage, employment, migration, income and wealth, attitudes and expectations with respect to family size and composition, community characteristics, time allocation, and transfers of goods, help, and money between the respondents and others. The survey collected data in three separate rounds held at four-month intervals. The majority of the survey was administered in Round 1, while the second and third rounds collected data on new questions not asked in Round 1 and also updated some of the Round 1 data, most notably the work and pregnancy histories. In October 1981, the individual-level dataset (Part 142) was created, consisting of one fixed-length record per individual per household. Variables included at both the individual and household levels provide information on demographics, time allocation, and income and wealth. Due to processing constraints, most of the retrospective data have been omitted from the individual-level dataset.
description: Datasets: 
 
 DS0: Study-Level Files 
 DS1: Round 1: MF1SUM--Household Roster Summary 
 DS2: Round 1: MF1ROST--Household Roster 
 DS3: Round 1: MF2SUM--Female Retrospective Summary 
 DS4: Round 1: MF2MAR1--First Marriage Date Card 
 DS5: Round 1: MF2PREG--Pregnancy 
 DS6: Round 1: MF2CURDT--Current Date 
 DS7: Round 1: MF2MARR--Marriage 
 DS8: Round 1: MF2MIG--Migration/Housing 
 DS9: Round 1: MF2CARE--Child Care 
 DS10: Round 1: MF2ED--Education/Training 
 DS11: Round 1: MF2EMP--Employment (Female) 
 DS12: Round 1: MF3SUM--Male Retrospective Summary 
 DS13: Round 1: MF3ED--Education/Training/Marriage 
 DS14: Round 1: MF3EMP--Employment (Male) 
 DS15: Round 1: MF3PROP--Property and Gifts 
 DS16: Round 1: MF4SUM--Female Time Budget Summary 
 DS17: Round 1: MF4ACT4--Past 4 Months Activities (Female) 
 DS18: Round 1: MF4PRE--Pre-Listed Activities (Female) 
 DS19: Round 1: MF5SUM--Male Time Budget Summary 
 DS20: Round 1: MF5ACT4--Past 4 Months Activities (Male) 
 DS21: Round 1: MF5PRE--Pre-Listed Activities (Male) 
 DS22: Round 1: MF6SUM--Income and Wealth Summary 
 DS23: Round 1: MF6POSS--Possessions 
 DS24: Round 1: MF6CROP1--Crop Card 1 
 DS25: Round 1: MF6CROP2--Crop Card 2 
 DS26: Round 1: MF6CROP3--Crop Card 3 
 DS27: Round 1: MF6FARM--Basic Farm Card 
 DS28: Round 1: MF6LARGE--Large Animals 
 DS29: Round 1: MF6SMAL1--Small Animals 
 DS30: Round 1: MF6PROD--Animal Produce 
 DS31: Round 1: MF6BUS1--Non-Farm Business Card 1 
 DS32: Round 1: MF6BUS2--Non-Farm Business Card 2 
 DS33: Round 1: MF6LAND1--Land and Buildings 1 
 DS34: Round 1: MF6LAND2--Land and Buildings 2 
 DS35: Round 1: MF6LAND3--Land and Buildings 3 
 DS36: Round 1: MF6RENT--Rentals/Gifts/Payments/Returns 
 DS37: Round 1: MF6BORR--Borrowings and Loans 
 DS38: Round 1: MF6INS--Insurance 
 DS39: Round 1: MF11SUM--Community Questionnaire Summary 
 DS40: Round 1: MF11CD1--Community Questionnaire 1 
 DS41: Round 1: MF11CD2--Community Questionnaire 2 
 DS42: Round 1: MF11CD3--Community Questionnaire 3 
 DS43: Round 1: MF11CD4--Community Questionnaire 4 
 DS44: Round 1: MF11CD5--Community Questionnaire 5 
 DS45: Round 1: MF11CD6--Community Questionnaire 6 
 DS46: Round 2: MF1SUM--Household Roster Summary 
 DS47: Round 2: MF1ROST--Household Roster 
 DS48: Round 2: MF2SUM--Female Retrospective Summary 
 DS49: Round 2: MF2MAR1--First Marriage Date Card 
 DS50: Round 2: MF2PREG--Pregnancy 
 DS51: Round 2: MF2CURDT--Current Date 
 DS52: Round 2: MF2MARR--Marriage 
 DS53: Round 2: MF2MIG--Migration/Housing 
 DS54: Round 2: MF2CARE--Child Care 
 DS55: Round 2: MF2ED--Education/Training 
 DS56: Round 2: MF4SUM--Female Time Budget Summary 
 DS57: Round 2: MF4ACT4--Past 4 Months Activities (Female) 
 DS58: Round 2: MF4PRE--Pre-Listed Activities 
 DS59: Round 2: MF5SUM--Male Time Budget Summary 
 DS60: Round 2: MF5ACT4--Past 4 Months Activities (Male) 
 DS61: Round 2: MF5PRE--Pre-Listed Activities (Male) 
 DS62: Round 2: MF6SUM--Income and Wealth Summary 
 DS63: Round 2: MF6POSS--Possessions 
 DS64: Round 2: MF6CROP1--Crop Card 1 
 DS65: Round 2: MF6CROP2--Crop Card 2 
 DS66: Round 2: MF6CROP3--Crop Card 3 
 DS67: Round 2: MF6FARM--Basic Farm Card 
 DS68: Round 2: MF6LARGE--Large Animals 
 DS69: Round 2: MF6SMAL2--Small Animals 
 DS70: Round 2: MF6PROD--Animal Produce 
 DS71: Round 2: MF6BUS1--Non-Farm Business Card 1 
 DS72: Round 2: MF6BUS2--Non-Farm Business Card 2 
 DS73: Round 2: MF6LAND1--Land and Buildings 1 
 DS74: Round 2: MF6LAND2--Land and Buildings 2 
 DS75: Round 2: MF6LAND3--Land and Buildings 3 
 DS76: Round 2: MF6RENT--Rentals/Gifts/Payments/Returns 
 DS77: Round 2: MF6BORR--Borrowings and Loans 
 DS78: Round 2: MF6EXP--Extraordinary Expenses 
 DS79: Round 2: MF7SUM--Female Attitudes and Expectations Summary 
 DS80: Round 2: MF7SUPP--Means of Support (Female) 
 DS81: Round 2: MF7ACT--Children's Activities and Help (Female) 
 DS82: Round 2: MF7MEM--Household Members (Female) 
 DS83: Round 2: MF7PAREN--Helping Parents (Female) 
 DS84: Round 2: MF7SIZE--Attitudes (Female) 
 DS85: Round 2: MF7MED--Medical Help (Female) 
 DS86: Round 2: MF8SUM--Male Attitudes and Expectations Summary 
 DS87: Round 2: MF8SUPP--Means of Support (Male) 
 DS88: Round 2: MF8MEM--Household Members (Male) 
 DS89: Round 2: MF8PAREN--Helping Parents (Male) 
 DS90: Round 2: MF8SIZE--Attitudes (Male) 
 DS91: Round 2: MF8MED--Medical Help (Male) 
 DS92: Round 2: Infant Feeding/Amenorrhea Update Data 
 DS93: Round 2: Female Recall Test Data 
 DS94: Round 2: Male Recall Test Data 
 DS95: Round 3: MF1SUM--Household Roster Summary 
 DS96: Round 3: MF1ROST--Household Roster 
 DS97: Round 3: MF2SUM--Female Retrospective Summary 
 DS98: Round 3: MF2MAR1--First Marriage Date Card 
 DS99: Round 3: MF2PREG--Pregnancy 
 DS100: Round 3: MF2CURDT--Current Date 
 DS101: Round 3: MF2MARR--Marriage 
 DS102: Round 3: MF2MIG--Migration/Housing 
 DS103: Round 3: MF2CARE--Child Care 
 DS104: Round 3: MF2ED--Education/Training 
 DS105: Round 3: MF4SUM--Female Time Budget Summary 
 DS106: Round 3: MF4ACT4--Past 4 Months Activities (Female) 
 DS107: Round 3: MF4PRE--Pre-Listed Activities (Female) 
 DS108: Round 3: MF4WORK--Ever-Married Women and Spouse Working Hours 
 DS109: Round 3: MF5SUM--Male Time Budget Summary 
 DS110: Round 3: MF5ACT4--Past 4 Months Activities (Male) 
 DS111: Round 3: MF5PRE--Pre-Listed Activities (Male) 
 DS112: Round 3: MF5BUSY--Busy Times 
 DS113: Round 3: MF6SUM--Income and Wealth Summary 
 DS114: Round 3: MF6POSS--Possessions 
 DS115: Round 3: MF6CROP1--Crop Card 1 
 DS116: Round 3: MF6CROP2--Crop Card 2 
 DS117: Round 3: MF6CROP3--Crop Card 3 
 DS118: Round 3: MF6FARM--Basic Farm Card 
 DS119: Round 3: MF6LARGE--Large Animals 
 DS120: Round 3: MF6SMAL2--Small Animals 
 DS121: Round 3: MF6PROD--Animal Produce 
 DS122: Round 3: MF6BUS1--Non-Farm Business Card 1 
 DS123: Round 3: MF6BUS2--Non-Farm Business Card 2 
 DS124: Round 3: MF6LAND1--Land and Buildings 1 
 DS125: Round 3: MF6LAND2--Land and Buildings 2 
 DS126: Round 3: MF6LAND3--Land and Buildings 3 
 DS127: Round 3: MF6RENT--Rentals/Gifts/Payments/Returns 
 DS128: Round 3: MF6BORR--Borrowings and Loans 
 DS129: Round 3: MF6EXP--Extraordinary Expenses 
 DS130: Round 3: MF9SUM--Networks of Support Summary 
 DS131: Round 3: MF9OUT--Transfers Out 
 DS132: Round 3: MF9IN--Transfers In 
 DS133: Round 3: MF9HELP--Children's Help 
 DS134: Round 3: MF9SCHOO--Schooling Expenditures 
 DS135: Round 3: MF10SUM--Male Migration Summary 
 DS136: Round 3: MF10MIG1--Migration Card 1 
 DS137: Round 3: Repunched MF10 Data 
 DS138: Round 3: MF10REV--Revised MF10 Data 
 DS139: Round 3: MF10MIG2--Migration Card 2 
 DS140: Round 3: MF10MON--Sending/Receiving Money 
 DS141: Round 3: Infant Feeding/Amenorrhea Update Data 
 DS142: Individual-Level Data 
 DS143: Codebook Volume 1: "Introduction" Through "MF 6: Income and Wealth" 
 DS144: Codebook Volume 2: "MF7: Female Attitudes and Expectations" Through "Appendix K" 
 DS145: Codebook Volume 3: "Individual Level Data" and "Documentation of Subfiles" 
 DS146: Data Collection Instruments and Interview Instructions 
 DS147: Descriptions of Sample Communities 
 DS148: Summary Report and Technical Report
description: RAND Aging Studies in the Developing World Series
description: (1) This data collection was created by the principal investigators to replace their hierarchical version, which is not distributed by ICPSR. This multifile version also contains four files not included in the hierarchical version: Parts 93 and 94, Female and Male Recall Test Data, and Parts 92 and 141, Infant Feeding/Amenorrhea Update Data. In addition, Part 136, Round 3: MF10MIG1--Male Migration Card 1, Part 137, Round 3: Repunched MF10 Data, and Part 138, Round 3: MF10REV--Revised MF10 Data, contain updated data not in the hierarchical version. (2) This data collection can be combined with SECOND MALAYSIAN FAMILY LIFE SURVEY: 1988 INTERVIEWS (ICPSR 9805) to provide a retrospective history of the respondents from the 1940s to 1988. (3) At the request of the principal investigators, it should be noted that variables V1416R3, V1417R3, V1418R3, and V1419R3 in Part 142, Individual-Level Data, are not reliable and should be ignored.
description: Ever-married women aged 50 or younger and their current spouses living in Peninsular Malaysia.
description: The sample consisted of 1,262 households in 52 areas in Peninsular Malaysia containing an ever-married woman (one who had been married at least once) aged 50 or younger. Forty-nine of the areas were selected by area probability methods and three were purposively selected to give additional representation to Indian families and to families living in fishing communities.