DOI: 10.3886/icpsr09805.v2
title: Second Malaysian Family Life Survey: 1988 Interviews
title: Version 2

description: This collection, the second wave of a panel survey, provides household-level retrospective and current data for Peninsular Malaysian women and their husbands and covers traditional topics of demographic research such as fertility, nuptiality, migration, and mortality as well as social and economic factors affecting family decision-making. The overall purpose of the data collection was to study household behavior in diverse settings during a period of rapid demographic and socioeconomic change. Eight survey instruments were used in this study. The tracking instrument, MFLS-2, was used for all households where an interview was attempted, and recorded information such as disposition of survey and questionnaires, number of eligibles, and respondent identifiers. The MF20 instrument, Household Members, was administered to all Panel sample households that were located. It solicited information on the status of the household members and included items such as location, marital status, education, and birthdate. The MF21 form, Household Roster, was used on all households interviewed in the survey. This form collected demographic information on current and very recent household members. The MF22 form, Female Life History, surveyed the Panel women and their selected daughters and daughters-in-law, and the New Sample women. Information collected by this form included pregnancy history and related events, marital, work, and migration histories, family background, and education. The MF23 form, Male Life History, collected data from husbands of the Panel women, selected sons and sons-in-law, and husbands of New Sample women. Data on marital, work, and migration histories, education, and family background were recorded. The MF24 form, Senior Life History, was administered to selected persons aged 50 or more and contained questions on marriages, children living elsewhere, literacy, work experience, migration history, health, and family background. The MF25 form, Household Economy, collected data on household economy from all households interviewed in this wave. Forms MF26 and MF27 were used to generate community-level data subfiles for this collection. Part 97 (MF26DIST--District-Level Data) contains one record for each of the 78 districts of Peninsular Malaysia. This file provides information (most of which pertains to 1988, but some of which dates back to 1970) on health services (e.g., number of hospitals, health centers, and doctors), family planning services (e.g., number of family planning clinics, contraceptive use), birth, death, and fertility rates, number of primary and secondary schools, ethnic distributions, and industrial and occupational distributions. Part 98 (MF26EB--Community-Level Data) contains one record for each of the 398 Enumeration Blocks selected for MFLS-2 and the 52 Primary Sampling Units used in MFLS-1. This file gives the current status of family planning services, general health services, schools, water and sanitation, housing costs, agriculture, transportation, population, urban/rural status, and government programs. Part 99 (MF27COMM--Community-Level Data) offers data for the same units as Part 98 and contains similar information, along with retrospective data on family planning services, health services, schools, and water treatment. Merged files (Parts 106-112) that contain one record per respondent were created by ICPSR using the variables CASE SPLIT PERSON for MF22, MF23, MF24, and MF25 on the New and Senior samples and the Panel and Children samples.
description: Datasets: 
 
 DS0: Study-Level Files 
 DS1: New and Senior: MFLS-2 Tracking Record 
 DS2: New and Senior: MF21SUM--Household Roster: Summary Record 
 DS3: New and Senior: MF21ROST--Household Roster 
 DS4: New and Senior: MF22SUM--Female Life History: Summary Record 
 DS5: New and Senior: MF22MARR--Female Life History: Marriages 
 DS6: New and Senior: MF22PSUM--Female Life History: Summary of Pregnancies 
 DS7: New and Senior: MF22PREG--Female Life History: Pregnancies 
 DS8: New and Senior: MF22CONT--Female Life History: Contraception 
 DS9: New and Senior: MF22MENS--Female Life History: Menstruation History and Desire for Children 
 DS10: New and Senior: MF22CARE--Female Life History: Child Care 
 DS11: New and Senior: MF22EDEX--Female Life History: Education Expenses 
 DS12: New and Senior: MF22ED--Female Life History: Education 
 DS13: New and Senior: MF22TRN--Female Life History: Training 
 DS14: New and Senior: MF22MIG--Female Life History: Migration and House Characteristics 
 DS15: New and Senior: MF22WORK--Female Life History: Work History 
 DS16: New and Senior: MF22BACK--Female Life History: Family Background 
 DS17: New and Senior: MF22HP1--Female Life History: Help for Own Parents 
 DS18: New and Senior: MF22HP2--Female Life History: Help From Own Parents 
 DS19: New and Senior: MF22HC1--Female Life History: Help for Grown Children 
 DS20: New and Senior: MF22HC2--Female Life History: Help From Grown Children 
 DS21: New and Senior: MF22EVAL--Female Life History: Interview Evaluation 
 DS22: New and Senior: MF23SUM--Male Life History: Summary Record 
 DS23: New and Senior: MF23MARR--Male Life History: Marriages 
 DS24: New and Senior: MF23ED--Male Life History: Education 
 DS25: New and Senior: MF23TRN--Male Life History: Training 
 DS26: New and Senior: MF23MIG--Male Life History: Migration History 
 DS27: New and Senior: MF23WORK--Male Life History: Work History 
 DS28: New and Senior: MF23BACK--Male Life History: Family Background 
 DS29: New and Senior: MF23HP1--Male Life History: Help for Own Parents 
 DS30: New and Senior: MF23HP2--Male Life History: Help From Own Parents 
 DS31: New and Senior: MF23EVAL--Male Life History: Interview Evaluation 
 DS32: New and Senior: MF24SUM--Senior Life History: Summary Record 
 DS33: New and Senior: MF24MARR--Senior Life History: Marriages 
 DS34: New and Senior: MF24CHLD--Senior Life History: Children Living Elsewhere 
 DS35: New and Senior: MF24LANG--Senior Life History: Languages 
 DS36: New and Senior: MF24MIG--Senior Life History: Migration History 
 DS37: New and Senior: MF24MIG2--Senior Life History: House Characteristics 
 DS38: New and Senior: MF24WORK--Senior Life History: Work History 
 DS39: New and Senior: MF24BACK--Senior Life History: Family Background 
 DS40: New and Senior: MF24HP1--Senior Life History: Help for Own Parents 
 DS41: New and Senior: MF24HC1--Senior Life History: Help for Grown Children 
 DS42: New and Senior: MF24HC2--Senior Life History: Help From Grown Children 
 DS43: New and Senior: MF24HO1--Senior Life History: Help for Other Relatives: Money/Food 
 DS44: New and Senior: MF24HO2--Senior Life History: Help for Other Relatives: Child Care/Household Chores 
 DS45: New and Senior: MF24HO3--Senior Life History: Help for Other Relatives: Business 
 DS46: New and Senior: MF24HO4--Senior Life History: Help From Other Relatives: Money/Food 
 DS47: New and Senior: MF24HO5--Senior Life History: Help From Other Relatives: Chores/Business 
 DS48: New and Senior: MF24HLTH--Senior Life History: Health 
 DS49: New and Senior: MF24EVAL--Senior Life History: Interview Evaluation 
 DS50: New and Senior: MF25SUM--Household Economy: Summary Record 
 DS51: New and Senior: MF25POS1--Household Economy: Household Possessions 
 DS52: New and Senior: MF25POS2--Household Economy: Household Ownership and Expenses 
 DS53: New and Senior: MF25INC--Household Economy: Income-Producing Activities 
 DS54: New and Senior: MF25OTH--Household Economy: Other Sources of Income 
 DS55: New and Senior: MF25EVAL--Household Economy: Interview Evaluation 
 DS56: Panel and Children: MFLS-2 Tracking Record 
 DS57: Panel and Children: MFLS-2 Additional Tracking Record 
 DS58: Panel and Children: MF20SUM--1976 Household Members: Summary Record 
 DS59: Panel and Children: MF20CHLD--1976 Household Members: List of Eligible Children 
 DS60: Panel and Children: MF200TH--1976 Household Members: All Other Members of the MFLS-1 Household 
 DS61: Panel and Children: MF21SUM--Household Roster: Summary Record 
 DS62: Panel and Children: MF21ROST--Household Roster 
 DS63: Panel and Children: MF22SUM--Female Life History: Summary Record 
 DS64: Panel and Children: MF22MARR--Female Life History: Marriages 
 DS65: Panel and Children: MF22PSUM--Female Life History: Summary of Pregnancies 
 DS66: Panel and Children: MF22PREG--Female Life History: Pregnancies 
 DS67: Panel and Children: MF22CONT--Female Life History: Contraception 
 DS68: Panel and Children: MF22MENS--Female Life History: Menstruation History and Desire for Children 
 DS69: Panel and Children: MF22CARE--Female Life History: Child Care 
 DS70: Panel and Children: MF22EDEX--Female Life History: Education Expenses 
 DS71: Panel and Children: MF22ED--Female Life History: Education 
 DS72: Panel and Children: MF22TRN--Female History: Training 
 DS73: Panel and Children: MF22MIG--Female Life History: Migration and House Characteristics 
 DS74: Panel and Children: MF22WORK--Female Life History: Work History 
 DS75: Panel and Children: MF22BACK--Female Life History: Family Background 
 DS76: Panel and Children: MF22HP1--Female Life History: Help for Own Children 
 DS77: Panel and Children: MF22HP2--Female Life History: Help &gt;From Own Parents 
 DS78: Panel and Children: MF22HC1--Female Life History: Help for Grown Children 
 DS79: Panel and Children: MF22HC2--Female Life History: Help &gt;From Grown Children 
 DS80: Panel and Children: MF22EVAL--Female Life History: Interview Evaluation 
 DS81: Panel and Children: MF23SUM--Male Life History: Summary Record 
 DS82: Panel and Children: MF23MARR--Male Life History: Marriages 
 DS83: Panel and Children: MF23ED--Male Life History: Education 
 DS84: Panel and Children: MF23TRN--Male Life History: Training 
 DS85: Panel and Children: MF23MIG--Male Life History: Migration History 
 DS86: Panel and Children: MF23WORK--Male Life History: Work History 
 DS87: Panel and Children: MF23BACK--Male Life History: Family Background 
 DS88: Panel and Children: MF23HP1--Male Life History: Help for Own Parents 
 DS89: Panel and Children: MF23HP2--Male Life History: Help &gt;From Own Parents 
 DS90: Panel and Children: MF23EVAL--Male Life History: Interview Evaluation 
 DS91: Panel and Children: MF25SUM--Household Economy: Summary Record 
 DS92: Panel and Children: MF25POS1--Household Economy: Household Possessions 
 DS93: Panel and Children: MF25POS2--Household Economy: Household Ownership and Expenses 
 DS94: Panel and Children: MF25INC--Household Economy: Income-Producing Activities 
 DS95: Panel and Children: MF25OTH--Household Economy: Other Sources of Income 
 DS96: Panel and Children: MF25EVAL--Household Economy: Interview Evaluation 
 DS97: MF26DIST--District-Level Data 
 DS98: MF26EB--Community-Level Data 
 DS99: MF27COMM--Community-Level Data 
 DS100: Codebook Volume 1: "Introduction" Through "MF22: Female Life History" 
 DS101: Codebook Volume 2: "MF23: Male Life History" Through "MF26EB: Community-Level Data From MF26" 
 DS102: Codebook Volume 3: "MF26DIST: District-Level Data From MF26" Through "MF27COMM: Community-Level Data From MF27" 
 DS103: Appendices 
 DS104: User's Guide and Technical Report 
 DS105: Data Collection Instruments 
 DS106: New and Senior: MF22MERG--Merged File for MF22 
 DS107: New and Senior: MF23MERG--Merged File for MF23 
 DS108: New and Senior: MF24MERG--Merged File for MF24 
 DS109: New and Senior: MF25MERG--Merged File for MF25 
 DS110: Panel and Children: MF22MERG--Merged File for MF22 
 DS111: Panel and Children: MF23MERG--Merged File for MF23 
 DS112: Panel and Children: MF25MERG--Merged File for MF25
description: RAND Aging Studies in the Developing World Series
description: (1) The codebook, data collection instruments, and other documentation are provided as Portable Document Format (PDF) files. (2) Questions regarding variables in the merged files (Parts 106-112) should be directed to the data producer at mfls-supp@rand.org.
description: (1) All married women aged 50 or younger living in Peninsular Malaysia, (2) all children aged 18 or older living in Peninsular Malaysia, (3) all women under age 18 ever married and women between 18 and 49 living in Peninsular Malaysia, (4) all persons aged 50 and older living in Peninsular Malaysia.
description: Four samples were drawn for this study: Panel, Children, New, and Senior. (1) Those eligible for the Panel Sample were 1,262 women who were the primary respondents in the First Malaysian Family Life Survey in 1976. At that time, all had been married and were aged 50 or younger. In the second wave, 889 of these Panel respondents completed the Female Life History Questionnaire, a follow-up rate of 72 percent of those eligible. The husbands of these respondents were also interviewed if living in the household. (2) The Children Sample consisted of children of the women eligible for the study aged 18 or older. There were interviews with one child, selected at random, living elsewhere in Peninsular Malaysia. (3) The New Sample consisted of women aged 18-49 (regardless of marital status) or ever-married women under age 18. (4) The Senior Sample consisted of 1,357 persons aged 50 or older.