DOI: 10.3886/icpsr39446.v1
title: Monitoring the Future: A Continuing Study of American Youth, 2024 [Restricted-Use]
title: Version 1

description: This
data collection is part of the Monitoring the Future series that explores
changes in important values, behaviors, and lifestyle orientations of
contemporary American youth in eighth, tenth, and twelfth grades. The
restricted data sets in this collection include variables that were altered or
omitted from the public use data sets to maintain respondent confidentiality. Examples
of variables included in their original form are: unaltered sampling weight
variable, variables for strata and cluster to account for the complex sample
design of the MTF, and previously-omitted data on some variables for the
Western region of the US. For each year
from 1976 through 2017, two data sets containing data for all three grades are
available: one dataset including school-level state, county, and Zip Code variables,
and one dataset without these geographic school-level variables. For 2018-2022, data sets were
created separately for 8th/10th and 12th grades, resulting in four data sets.
This split on grade was done to mirror the data availability of the public use
files and facilitate the merging of the public and restricted use data. For 2023
forward, only two data sets are provided: one for the 8th and 10th grades, and
one for the 12th grade. <strong>Please
note: Use of the geographic identifiers such as state, county, or zip code is
limited and researchers interested in these variables are encouraged to read FAQs:
About MTF Restricted-Use Geographic Variables.</strong>
Also
included as part of each annual collection is a zip archive of the Monitoring
the Future public-use data and documentation for each respective year. The
basic research design used by the Monitoring the Future study involves annual
data collections from eighth, tenth, and twelfth graders throughout the contiguous
United States during the spring of each year. The 8th/10th grade surveys consist
of four different questionnaire forms (two forms from 1991-1996), and the 12th
grade surveys consist of six questionnaire forms (five forms from 1976-1988).
Identical forms are used for both eighth and tenth grades, and for the most
part, questionnaire content is drawn from the twelfth-grade questionnaires.
Thus, key demographic variables and measures of substance use and related
attitudes and beliefs are generally identical for all three grades. However,
many fewer questions about lifestyles and values are included in the 8th/10th
grade surveys. Substance use covered by these surveys includes tobacco,
smokeless tobacco, alcohol, marijuana/cannabis, prescription medications,
over-the-counter medications, inhalants, steroids, LSD and other hallucinogens,
amphetamines (stimulants), sedatives/barbiturates, tranquilizers, cocaine,
crack cocaine, ecstasy, methamphetamine, heroin, narcotics other than heroin, and
vaping of nicotine, marijuana/cannabis, and flavors. Other topics include:
attitudes toward religion, changing roles for women, educational aspirations,
self-esteem, exposure to drug education, and violence and crime (both in and
out of school).
description: The
data available in the restricted use data files contain the unaltered weight
variable (<strong>SDE_BX_V5</strong> for 8th/10th grades and <strong>SDE_BY_V5</strong> for 12th grade). In the
public-use data, for reasons of confidentiality, the weight variable (8th/10th
grades data: <strong>V5</strong>; 12th grade data: <strong>V5</strong> prior to 2012 and <strong>ARCHIVE_WT</strong> since 2012)
was altered from its original version to a modified version prior to public
distribution. This results in slight discrepancies in the percentages and N
sizes in the annual MTF volumes and those from weighted analyses of the
public-use datasets. Typically, the variation is less than 1%. No such
variation should be present when using the weight variable in the restricted
use data sets in the virtual data enclave.
<strong>Regardless
of whether the researcher is using the public or restricted use data, the
available weight variable should always be used in analyses.</strong>
<strong>Complex sample design variables:</strong>
As the base year data
- grades 8, 10, and 12 - are sampled using a two-stage stratified random
sampling procedure, it is often desirable to incorporate the sampling
information into analyses. The MTF sample is drawn such that the data for each
grade are representative of the 48 contiguous United States. The stages of
sampling are: the selection of one or more schools in a geographic area, and
then students within the school. The variables representing the sampling strata
and clusters are omitted from the public use data but included in the
restricted-use files. Please see "Appendix B: Complex Sample Design and
Weighting Information" in the user's guide for details and examples.
description: Response Rates: Please
see the MTF public use data documentation for 2024
response rate information.
description: A two-stage stratified random sampling procedure
was used involving (1) selection of schools within geographic areas, and (2) selection
of students within sampled schools. The sampling variables of interest to
researchers to account for the complex sample design of the MTF study are
available in the restricted use data files.
Note: The MTF sampling design used
through 2023 was updated in 2024. Please see the MTF annual report for details.Examples of how to use the complex sample
design information in analyses are found in "Appendix A: Using the Complex Sample
Design" in each user's guide.
description: Datasets: 
DS0: Study-Level Files
DS1: Restricted-Use Variables Including State, County, and Zip Code (8th-Grade and 10th-Grade Survey) (VDE Only)
DS2: Restricted-Use Variables Including State, County, and Zip Code (12th-Grade Survey) (VDE Only)
DS3: Copy of Public-Use Files
description: Eighth, tenth, and twelfth grade students in the contiguous United States. Smallest Geographic Unit: Zip code
description: web-based surveyConducted by the University of Michigan, Institute for Social Research, Survey Research Center.This collection provides the original Monitoring the Future variables, including the unaltered weight variable, that in the public-use data were altered or omitted.

Dataset 1 includes State, County, and Zip Code as well as the original variables for 8th and 10th grade respondents.
Dataset 2 includes State, County, and Zip Code as well as the original variables for 12th grade respondents.
Dataset 3 is a zipped package containing all of the available data and documentation files for the corresponding year's public-use files for both 8th/10th and 12th grades.Information is included in the user guides to assist users in linking the original variables in the restricted-use files with the public-use variables to perform analyses of interest.The MTF sample is drawn to generate representative samples of the four Census Bureau regions of the country (Northeast, Midwest, South, and West), but it does not generate representative samples of smaller geographic areas such as states, counties, or cities. <strong>Use of the geographic identifiers such as state, county, or zip code is limited and researchers interested in these variables are encouraged to read FAQs:</strong> Monitoring the Future Restricted-Use Geographic VariablesMost data for the Western region that were intentionally changed to missing data (-9) in the public-use version of the MTF data sets are available in this collection. Please see the user guides for exceptions.