DOI: 10.3886/icpsr37350
title: Pittsburgh Youth Study Demographic Constructs, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1987-2001
title: Archival Version

description: The Pittsburgh Youth Study (PYS) is part of the larger "Program of Research on the Causes and Correlates of Delinquency" initiated by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in 1986. PYS aims to document the development of antisocial and delinquent behavior from childhood to early adulthood, the risk factors that impinge on that development, and help seeking and service provision of boys' behavior problems. The study also focuses on boys' development of alcohol and drug use, and internalizing problems.
PYS consists of three cohorts of boys who were in the first, fourth, and seventh grades in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania public schools during the 1987-1988 academic year (called the youngest, middle, and oldest cohorts, respectively). Using a screening risk score that measured each boy's antisocial behavior, boys identified at the top 30 percent within each grade cohort on the screening risk measure (n=~250), as well as an equal number of boys randomly selected from the remainder (n=~250), were selected for follow-up. Consequently, the final sample for the study consisted of 1,517 total students selected for follow-up. 506 of these students were in the oldest sample, 508 were in the middle sample, and 503 were in the youngest sample.
Assessments were conducted semiannually and then annually using multiple informants (i.e., boys, parents, and teachers) between 1987 and 2010. The youngest cohort was assessed from ages 6-19 and again at ages 25 and 28. The middle cohort was assessed from ages 9-13 and again at age 23. The oldest cohort was assessed from ages 13-25, with an additional assessment at age 35. Information has been collected on a broad range of risk and protective factors across multiple domains (e.g., individual, family, peer, school, and neighborhood). Measures of conduct problems, substance use/abuse, criminal behavior, mental health problems have been collected.
This collection contains data and syntax files for demographic constructs. The datasets include constructs on repeated grade status, demographic information of participants, participants' biological mother, biological father, female caretaker, and male caretaker, change of caretaker since last phase, number of family members and other adults or children in the home, family structure, followup participation by youth, caretaker, and teacher, and housing characteristics.
The demographic constructs were created by using the PYS raw data. The raw data are available at ICPSR in the following studies:
Pittsburgh Youth Study Youngest Sample (1987 - 2001) [Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania],
Pittsburgh Youth Study Middle Sample (1987 - 1991) [Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania], and
Pittsburgh Youth Study Oldest Sample (1987 - 2000) [Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania].
description: The Pittsburgh Youth Study (PYS) is a part of the Program of Research on the Causes and Correlates of Delinquency (Causes and Correlates), initiated in 1986 by the United States Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Causes and Correlates is designed to improve the understanding of serious delinquency, violence, and drug use by examining how youth develop within the context of family, school, peers, and community. Specifically, PYS aims to document the development of antisocial and delinquent behavior from childhood to early adulthood, the risk factors that impinge on that development, and help seeking and service provision of boys' behavior problems. It also focuses on boys' development of alcohol and drug use, and internalizing problems. Additionally, the study provides an excellent real-life laboratory for advancing and testing hypothesized developmental pathways.
description: Variables for demographic constructs include constructs on repeated grade status, demographic information of participants, participants' biological mother, biological father, female caretaker, and male caretaker, change of caretaker since last phase, number of family members and other adults or children in the home, family structure, followup participation by youth, caretaker, and teacher, and housing characteristics.
description: Response Rates: Participant retention for the Pittsburgh Youth Study has historically been high (mean=91 percent), with 82 percent of living participants completing the most recent interview conducted in 2010.
description: The initial sample for the Pittsburgh Youth Study (PYS) was selected with the assistance of the Pittsburgh Board of Education in 1987. PYS researchers started out with comprehensive public school lists of the enrollment of 1,631, 1,432, and 1,419 male students in grades 1, 4, and 7 during the 1987-1988 school year respectively. From these lists, researchers randomly selected about 1,100 boys in each of the three grades to be contacted (1,165, 1,146, and 1,125 in grades 1, 4, and 7, respectively). However, a number of the children had moved out of the school district, proved to be girls, or were of incorrect age and were therefore not eligible participants. Eventually, 1,006, 1,004, and 998 families with eligible boys in grades 1, 4, and 7, respectively, were contacted. Boys in grade 1 became the "youngest" sample, boys in grade 4 became the "middle" sample, and boys in grade 7 became the "oldest" sample. From this contact, 84.6 percent, 86.3 percent, and 83.9 percent of the eligible boys in the youngest, middle, and oldest samples respectively chose to participate in PYS. 
In order to increase the number of high-risk males in the sample, researchers used a screening assessment on a subset of the boys during the first phase of the study, Phase S. Risk scores from this screening assessment measured each boy's antisocial behavior using parent, teacher, and self-report instruments. Within each grade-based sample, boys identified at the top 30 percent on the screening risk measure (n=~250), as well as an equal number of boys randomly selected from the remaining 70 percent (n=~250), were selected for follow-up in subsequent phases (Phase A- Phase DD). This resulted in the final samples of 503, 508, and 506 boys in grades 1, 4, and 7, respectively, who together with their parent were to be followed up. 
The youngest sample (N=503) and the oldest sample (N=506) have been assessed continuously since 1987, while the middle sample (N=508) was only assessed seven times from ages 10-13. Assessments of each of the cohorts were carried out initially half-yearly, and later yearly. When the assessment periods switched from six months to one year, the youngest sample was interviewed every spring and the oldest sample every fall. Each phase letter still represents a six-month period. Thus, all the phases from H through AA have data for only one sample.
description: Datasets: 
DS0: Study-Level Files
DS1: Phase A All Samples Participant's Biological Parents Constructs - A3XBIOFM
DS2: Phase A All Samples SES, Unemployment, Education, Income, Public Assistance, and Marital Status of Caretakers Constructs - A3XDEMO
DS3: Phase A All Samples Family Structure and People Living in the Home Constructs - A3XFAMST
DS4: Phase A All Samples Housing Quality, Size of House, and Crowded Home Constructs - A3XHOUSQ
DS5: Phase AA Youngest Sample Biological Father Living Status and Biological Mother Living Status Constructs - AAYBIOFM
DS6: Phase AA Youngest Sample SES, Employment, Education, Income, and Public Assistance of Participants Constructs - AAYDEMO
DS7: Phase AA Youngest Sample Family Structure and People Living in the Home Constructs - AAYFAMST
DS8: Phase AA Youngest Sample Followup Participation Constructs - AAYFOLLO
DS9: Phase AA Youngest Sample Housing Quality Construct - AAYHOUSQ
DS10: Phase B All Samples Repeated Grade Construct - B3XAGERP
DS11: Phase B All Samples Participant's Biological Parents Constructs - B3XBIOFM
DS12: Phase B All Samples SES, Employment, Education, and Marital Status of Caretakers Constructs - B3XDEMO
DS13: Phase B All Samples Family Structure and People Living in the Home, Siblings, and Changes of Caretaker Constructs - B3XFAMST
DS14: Phase B All Samples Followup Participation Constructs - B3XFOLLO
DS15: Phase B All Samples Housing Quality Construct - B3XHOUSQ
DS16: Phase C All Samples Participant's Biological Parents Constructs - C3XBIOFM
DS17: Phase C All Samples SES, Employment, Education, Income, Public Assistance, and Marital Status of Caretakers Constructs - C3XDEMO
DS18: Phase C All Samples Family Structure and People Living in the Home, Siblings, and Changes of Caretaker Constructs - C3XFAMST
DS19: Phase C All Samples Followup Participation Constructs - C3XFOLLO
DS20: Phase C All Samples Housing Quality, Size of House, and Crowded Home Constructs - C3XHOUSQ
DS21: Phase D All Samples Repeated Grade Construct - D3XAGERP
DS22: Phase D All Samples Participant's Biological Parents Constructs - D3XBIOFM
DS23: Phase D All Samples SES, Employment, Education, and Marital Status of Caretakers Constructs - D3XDEMO
DS24: Phase D All Samples Family Structure and People Living in the Home, Siblings, and Changes of Caretaker Constructs - D3XFAMST
DS25: Phase D All Samples Followup Participation Constructs - D3XFOLLO
DS26: Phase D All Samples Housing Quality Construct - D3XHOUSQ
DS27: Phase E Oldest Sample Repeated Grade Construct - E3OAGERP
DS28: Phase E All Samples Participant's Biological Parents Constructs - E3XBIOFM
DS29: Phase E All Samples SES, Employment, Education, Income, Public Assistance, and Marital Status of Caretakers Constructs - E3XDEMO
DS30: Phase E All Samples Family Structure and People Living in the Home, Siblings, and Changes of Caretaker Constructs - E3XFAMST
DS31: Phase E All Samples Followup Participation Constructs - E3XFOLLO
DS32: Phase E All Samples Housing Quality, Size of House, and Crowded Home Constructs - E3XHOUSQ
DS33: Phase F Youngest and Middle Samples Repeated Grade Construct - F3NAGERP
DS34: Phase F Youngest and Middle Samples Participant's Biological Parents Constructs - F3NBIOFM
DS35: Phase F Youngest and Middle Samples SES, Employment, Education, and Marital Status of Caretakers Constructs - F3NDEMO
DS36: Phase F Youngest and Middle Samples Family Structure and People Living in the Home, Siblings, and Changes of Caretaker Constructs - F3NFAMST
DS37: Phase F Youngest and Middle Samples Followup Participation Constructs - F3NFOLLO
DS38: Phase F Youngest and Middle Samples Housing Quality Construct - F3NHOUSQ
DS39: Phase G Oldest Sample Repeated Grade Construct - G3OAGERP
DS40: Phase G Youngest and Oldest Samples Participant's Biological Parents Constructs - G3WBIOFM
DS41: Phase G Youngest and Oldest Samples SES, Employment, Education, Income, Public Assistance, and Marital Status of Caretakers Constructs - G3WDEMO
DS42: Phase G Youngest and Oldest Samples Family Structure and People Living in the Home, Siblings, and Changes of Caretaker - G3WFAMST
DS43: Phase G Youngest and Oldest Samples Followup Participation Constructs - G3WFOLLO
DS44: Phase G Youngest and Oldest Samples Housing Quality, Size of House, and Crowded Home Constructs - G3WHOUSQ
DS45: Phase H Youngest Sample Repeated Grade Construct - H3YAGERP
DS46: Phase H Youngest Sample Participant's Biological Parents Constructs - H3YBIOFM
DS47: Phase H Youngest Sample SES, Employment, Education, and Marital Status of Caretakers Constructs - H3YDEMO
DS48: Phase H Youngest Sample Family Structure and People Living in the Home, Siblings, and Changes of Caretaker Constructs - H3YFAMST
DS49: Phase H Youngest Sample Followup Participation Constructs - H3YFOLLO
DS50: Phase H Youngest Sample Housing Quality Construct - H3YHOUSQ
DS51: Phase I Oldest Sample Repeated Grade Construct - I3OAGERP
DS52: Phase I Oldest Sample Participant's Biological Parents Constructs - I3OBIOFM
DS53: Phase I Oldest Sample SES, Employment, Education, Income, Public Assistance, and Marital Status of Caretakers, and the Income of Participants - I3ODEMO
DS54: Phase I Oldest Sample Family Structure and People Living in the Home, Siblings, and Changes of Caretaker Constructs - I3OFAMST
DS55: Phase I Oldest Sample Followup Participation Constructs - I3OFOLLO
DS56: Phase I Oldest Sample Housing Quality, Size of House, and Crowded Home Constructs - I3OHOUSQ
DS57: Phase J Youngest Sample Repeated Grade Construct - J3YAGERP
DS58: Phase J Youngest Sample Participant's Biological Parents Constructs - J3YBIOFM
DS59: Phase J Youngest Sample SES, Employment, Education, Income, Public Assistance, and Marital Status of Caretakers Constructs - J3YDEMO
DS60: Phase J Youngest Sample Family Structure and People Living in the Home, Siblings, and Changes of Caretaker Constructs - J3YFAMST
DS61: Phase J Youngest Sample Followup Participation Constructs - J3YFOLLO
DS62: Phase J Youngest Sample Housing Quality, Size of House, and Crowded Home Constructs - J3YHOUSQ
DS63: Phase K Oldest Sample Biological Father Living Status and Biological Mother Living Status Constructs - K3OBIOFM
DS64: Phase K Oldest Sample SES, Employment, Education, Income, and Public Assistance of Participants Constructs - K3ODEMO
DS65: Phase K Oldest Sample Family Structure and People Living in the Home Constructs - K3OFAMST
DS66: Phase K Oldest Sample Followup Participation Construct - K3OFOLLO
DS67: Phase L Youngest Sample Repeated Grade Construct - L3YAGERP
DS68: Phase L Youngest Sample Participant's Biological Parents Constructs - L3YBIOFM
DS69: Phase L Youngest Sample SES, Employment, Education, Income, Public Assistance, and Marital Status of Caretakers - L3YDEMO
DS70: Phase L Youngest Sample Family Structure and People Living in the Home, Siblings, and Changes of Caretaker Constructs - L3YFAMST
DS71: Phase L Youngest Sample Followup Participation Constructs - L3YFOLLO
DS72: Phase L Youngest Sample Housing Quality, Size of House, and Crowded Home Constructs - L3YHOUSQ
DS73: Phase M Oldest Sample Biological Father Living Status and Biological Mother Living Status Constructs - M3OBIOFM
DS74: Phase M Oldest Sample SES, Employment, Education, Income, and Public Assistance of Participants Constructs - M3ODEMO
DS75: Phase M Oldest Sample Family Structure and People Living in the Home Constructs - M3OFAMST
DS76: Phase M Oldest Sample Followup Participation Constructs - M3OFOLLO
DS77: Phase N Youngest Sample Repeated Grade Construct - N3YAGERP
DS78: Phase N Youngest Sample Participant's Biological Parents Constructs - N3YBIOFM
DS79: Phase N Youngest Sample SES, Employment, Education, Income, Public Assistance, and Marital Status of Caretakers Constructs - N3YDEMO
DS80: Phase N Youngest Sample Family Structure and People Living in the Home, Siblings, and Changes of Caretaker Constructs - N3YFAMST
DS81: Phase N Youngest Sample Followup Participation Constructs - N3YFOLLO
DS82: Phase N Youngest Sample Housing Quality, Size of House, and Crowded Home Constructs - N3YHOUSQ
DS83: Phase O Oldest Sample Biological Father Living Status and Biological Mother Living Status Constructs - O3OBIOFM
DS84: Phase O Oldest Sample SES, Employment, Education, Income, and Public Assistance of Participants Constructs - O3ODEMO
DS85: Phase O Oldest Sample Family Structure and People Living in the Home Constructs - O3OFAMST
DS86: Phase O Oldest Sample Followup Participation Constructs - O3OFOLLO
DS87: Phase P Youngest Sample Repeated Grade Construct - P3YAGERP
DS88: Phase P Youngest Sample Participant's Biological Parents Constructs - P3YBIOFM
DS89: Phase P Youngest Sample SES, Employment, Education, Income, Public Assistance, and Marital Status of Caretakers and Employment and Income of the Participant Constructs - P3YDEMO
DS90: Phase P Youngest Sample Family Structure and People Living in the Home, Siblings, and Changes of Caretaker Constructs - P3YFAMST
DS91: Phase P Youngest Sample Followup Participation Constructs - P3YFOLLO
DS92: Phase P Youngest Sample Housing Quality, Size of House, and Crowded Home Constructs - P3YHOUSQ
DS93: Phase Q Oldest Sample Biological Father Living Status and Biological Mother Living Status constructs - Q3OBIOFM
DS94: Phase Q Oldest Sample SES, Employment, Education, Income, and Public Assistance of Participants Constructs - Q3ODEMO
DS95: Phase Q Oldest Sample Family Structure and People Living in the Home Constructs - Q3OFAMST
DS96: Phase Q Oldest Sample Followup Participation Constructs - Q3OFOLLO
DS97: Phase R Youngest Sample Repeated Grade Construct - R3YAGERP
DS98: Phase R Youngest Sample Participant's Biological Parents Constructs - R3YBIOFM
DS99: Phase R Youngest Sample SES, Employment, Education, Income, Public Assistance, and Marital Status of Caretakers and Employment and Income of the Participant Constructs - R3YDEMO
DS100: Phase R Youngest Sample Family Structure and People Living in the Home, Siblings, and Changes of Caretaker Constructs - R3YFAMST
DS101: Phase R Youngest Sample Followup Participation Constructs - R3YFOLLO
DS102: Phase R Youngest Sample Housing Quality, Size of House, and Crowded Home Constructs - R3YHOUSQ
DS103: Phase S All Samples On-Off Age For Grade Construct - S3XAGERP
DS104: Phase S All Samples Participant's Biological Parents Constructs - S3XBIOFM
DS105: Phase S All Samples SES, Education, Race/Ethnicity, and Marital Status of Caretakers, and Race/Ethnicity of Participant Constructs - S3XDEMO
DS106: Phase S All Samples Family Structure and People Living in the Home and Siblings Constructs - S3XFAMST
DS107: Phase SS Oldest Sample Biological Father Living Status and Biological Mother Living Status Constructs - SSOBIOFM
DS108: Phase SS Oldest Sample SES, Employment, Education, Income, and Public Assistance of Participants Constructs - SSODEMO
DS109: Phase SS Oldest Sample Family Structure and People Living in the Home Constructs - SSOFAMST
DS110: Phase SS Oldest Sample Followup Participation Constructs - SSOFOLLO
DS111: Phase T Youngest Sample Participant's Biological Parents Constructs - T3YBIOFM
DS112: Phase T Youngest Sample SES, Employment, Education, Income, Public Assistance, and Marital Status of Caretakers and Employment and Income of the Participant Constructs - T3YDEMO
DS113: Phase T Youngest Sample Family Structure and People Living in the Home, Siblings, and Changes of Caretaker Constructs - T3YFAMST
DS114: Phase T Youngest Sample Followup Participation Constructs - T3YFOLLO
DS115: Phase T Youngest Sample Housing Quality, Size of House, and Crowded Home Constructs - T3YHOUSQ
DS116: Phase U Oldest Sample Biological Father Living Status and Biological Mother Living Status Constructs - U3OBIOFM
DS117: Phase U Oldest Sample SES, Employment, Education, Income, and Public Assistance of Participants Constructs - U3ODEMO
DS118: Phase U Oldest Sample Family Structure and People Living in the Home Constructs - U3OFAMST
DS119: Phase U Oldest Sample Followup Participation Constructs - U3OFOLLO
DS120: Phase V Youngest Sample Biological Father Living Status and Biological Mother Living Status Constructs - V3YBIOFM
DS121: Phase V Youngest Sample SES, Employment, Education, Income, and Public Assistance of Participants Constructs - V3YDEMO
DS122: Phase V Youngest Sample Family Structure and People Living in the Home Constructs - V3YFAMST
DS123: Phase V Youngest Sample Followup Participation Constructs - V3YFOLLO
DS124: Phase V Youngest Sample Housing Quality Construct - V3YHOUSQ
DS125: Phase W Oldest Sample Biological Father Living Status and Biological Mother Living Status Constructs - W3OBIOFM
DS126: Phase W Oldest Sample SES, Employment, Education, Income, and Public Assistance of Participants Constructs - W3ODEMO
DS127: Phase W Oldest Sample Family Structure and People Living in the Home Constructs - W3OFAMST
DS128: Phase W Oldest Sample Followup Participation Constructs - W3OFOLLO
DS129: Phase W Oldest Sample Housing Quality Construct - W3OHOUSQ
DS130: Phase Y Youngest Sample Biological Father Living Status and Biological Mother Living Status Constructs - Y3YBIOFM
DS131: Phase Y Youngest Sample SES, Employment, Education, Income, and Public Assistance of Participants Constructs - Y3YDEMO
DS132: Phase Y Youngest Sample Family Structure and People Living in the Home Constructs - Y3YFAMST
DS133: Phase Y Youngest Sample Followup Participation Constructs - Y3YFOLLO
DS134: Phase Y Youngest Sample Housing Quality Construct - Y3YHOUSQ
DS135: Phase Z Oldest Sample Biological Father Living Status and Biological Mother Living Status Constructs - ZZOBIOFM
DS136: Phase Z Oldest Sample SES, Employment, Education, Income, and Public Assistance of Participants Constructs - ZZODEMO
DS137: Phase Z Oldest Sample Family Structure and People Living in the Home Constructs - ZZOFAMST
DS138: Phase Z Oldest Sample Followup Participation Constructs - ZZOFOLLO
DS139: Phase Z Oldest Sample Housing Quality Construct - ZZOHOUSQ
description: This study collection contains those students, and their parents, who were in first, fourth, or seventh grade during the 1987-1988 school year.
description: face-to-face interview; mail questionnaire; paper and pencil interview (PAPI); self-enumerated questionnaire; on-site questionnaire; telephone interviewThe demographic constructs were created by using the PYS raw data. The raw data are available at ICPSR in the following studies:
Pittsburgh Youth Study Youngest Sample (1987 - 2001) [Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania],
Pittsburgh Youth Study Middle Sample (1987 - 1991) [Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania] , and
Pittsburgh Youth Study Oldest Sample (1987 - 2000) [Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania].ICPSR incorporated the original file name into each dataset name to make it easier for the users to match each dataset with the appropriate syntax file.Approved users of the restricted data will gain access to a crosswalk to the raw data file names that can be used with the included syntax, as well as an Access database that allows users to look up construct items. An ICPSR crosswalk to the dataset names, P.I.'s deposited filenames, ICPSR filenames and corresponding dataset numbers is also provided in the restricted access materials in the VDE.