The National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), Cycle 6, 2002 was conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Cycle 6 was based on a national multi-stage probability sample designed to represent the civilian noninstitutionalized population of the United States, 15-44 years of age. Interviewing for the NSFG was conducted from January 2002 to March 2003 by the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research under contract with NCHS. In-person interviews were completed with 7,643 females 15-44 years of age and with 4,928 males 15-44 years of age. The sample of females and the sample of males are independent samples consisting of unrelated and unacquainted people.

The purpose of the survey is to produce national estimates of: factors affecting pregnancy – including sexual activity, contraceptive use, infertility, and sources of family planning services; factors affecting marriage, divorce, cohabitation, and adoption; what men and women do to raise their children; and men’s and women’s attitudes about sex, childbearing, and marriage. The data from the NSFG are used by NCHS and other agencies as the basis for reports and studies on fertility, marriage and cohabitation, contraception, and related issues.

The 2002 NSFG data are divided into three files. The Female Respondent File (Data Set R4-R7) contains most of the information from the Cycle 6 female questionnaire and uses the individual respondent as the unit of analysis. This data set contains 3,087 variables for 7,643 cases. The Female Pregnancy File (Data Set R8) uses the pregnancy as the unit of analysis and contains data for each pregnancy (regardless of the result) for all of the respondents. Several related variables from the respondent file are included as well. This data set includes 243 variables for 13,593 cases. The Male Respondent File (Data Set R9-S1) contains most of the information from the Cycle 6 male questionnaire and uses the individual male respondent as the unit of analysis. This data set contains 1,993 variables for 4,928 males.