Los Angeles Women's Health Risk Study, 1990

Investigators: David Kanouse

Investigators interviewed a stratified probability sample of 1,024 female street prostitutes in Los Angeles County between May 1990 and February 1991 to study behavior that is linked to transmission of HIV and other STDs. Although the study also collected blood samples from a subsample of 638 women to examine markers for HIV infection, as well as past syphilis and hepatitis B infection, the original investigator did not include blood sample data in this public use dataset. The specific aims of this study were to: develop numerical estimates of the size of the prostitute population in Los Angeles County and its distribution by predominant mode of solicitation of customers; characterize prostitute career patterns; perform HIV antibody testing to determine the prevalence of HIV infection in this population and its subgroups; measure the prevalence and incidence of specific sexual and drug-related risk behaviors and prevention behaviors and determine how these are related to prostitute characteristics and risk and prevention behaviors; and compare the characteristics of the population of prostitutes with those subgroups most likely to be recruited in convenience samples (e.g., from jails or STD clinics). The present study is unique in describing the characteristics, risk behavior and serological status of a probability sample of street prostitutes from a major metropolitan area of the U.S., which is also in AIDS epicenter.

MSAs

Investigators: National Opinion Research Center, 1991 State and Metropolitan Area Databook, & Urban Institute's Underclass Database

The U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) defines metropolitan areas (MAs) according to published standards that are applied to Census Bureau data. The general concept of an MA is one of a large population nucleus, together with adjacent communities that have a high degree of economic and social integration with that nucleus. Some MAs are defined around two or more nuclei. This dataset includes socio-economic and demographic data for Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) in the US. The first data file consists of data from the 1970s and has 280 cases and 338 variables. The second covers data from the 1980s, and includes 556 variables for 363 cases. The third data file covers data from the 1990s and includes 330 variables for 335 cases

Madison, Wisconsin Study of Premarital Sexuality Among Young People: Nonstudents, 1973

Investigators: John DeLamater

This is the identical survey described in DAAPPP Data Set No. 56, only conducted with a non-student population. The sample was designed to consist of persons between the ages of 18 and 23 who resided in Madison, Wisconsin but were not students at the University. The sample was obtained by calling a systematic probability sample of residences in the telephone directory. Of the 1,134 eligible persons, 663 completed interviews. With the exclusion of married couples, the total sample consisted of 220 nonstudent males and 293 nonstudent females. Note for users of DAAPPP Data Sets #01-B1DAAPPP data sets 01 through B1 are comprised of a User's Guide, SPSS syntax files (*.SPS or *.SPX) and raw data files only. Most of these datasets contain SPSS syntax files that use Job Control Language (JCL) from 1980s versions of SPSS-X. Because the syntax is old, the syntax files require editing to conform to the current syntax standards used by SPSS/Windows or SPSS/Unix. If you require technical assistance in using or editing these syntax files, please contact Sociometrics' Data Support Group at 800.846.3475 or socio@socio.com.

Madison, Wisconsin Study of Premarital Sexuality Among Young People: Students, 1973

Investigators: John DeLamater

The focus of this study is on the social aspects of premarital sexuality, sociopsychological characteristics, current sexual behavior and contraceptive knowledge and use among young people. Information on personal and family characteristics, sexual experience, peer group influence, and self-image was also collected. Interviews for the study were conducted with a stratified sample of undergraduates, consisting of 432 male students and 431 female students (see DAAPPP Data Set No. 57 for the corresponding non-student sample). The response rate for the study was 82%; married students were excluded from the survey. Note for users of DAAPPP Data Sets #01-B1DAAPPP data sets 01 through B1 are comprised of a User's Guide, SPSS syntax files (*.SPS or *.SPX) and raw data files only. Most of these datasets contain SPSS syntax files that use Job Control Language (JCL) from 1980s versions of SPSS-X. Because the syntax is old, the syntax files require editing to conform to the current syntax standards used by SPSS/Windows or SPSS/Unix. If you require technical assistance in using or editing these syntax files, please contact Sociometrics' Data Support Group at 800.846.3475 or socio@socio.com.

Maricopa County, Arizona Study of Child Maltreatment Risk Among Adolescent Mothers, 1976-1978

Investigators: Frank G. Bolton, Jr.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the incidence of child maltreatment was higher among natural children born to adolescent mothers, compared to that obtained for children born to post-adolescent women. A random sample of 5,098 observations was drawn from the child maltreatment cases referred to the Maricopa County unit of the Arizona Department of Economic Security's Child Protective Services between January 1, 1976 and December 31, 1978.

Marital Instability Over the Life Course: 1981-1988

Investigators: Alan Booth, David J. Johnson, Lynn K. White, and John N. Edwards

This study consists of data drawn from a three wave panel study on marital instability. Five major dimensions of marital quality formed the foci of the study: divorce proneness (or marital instability), marital problems, marital happiness, marital interaction, and marital disagreements. Initially, the investigators devoted considerable attention to female labor force participation as it related to marital dissolution and divorce proneness. For the last two waves, the investigators drew heavily on a life course perspective to guide their investigation. Life course theories emphasize the extent to which social behaviors are a product of individuals' relative positions along a developmental continuum. A total of 2,033 cases were assessed across the three waves. Topics addressed in the study include: demographics (i.e., household characteristics, race, income, religion, education, etc.); marital/divorce history; pre- marital courtship history; marital behavior (e.g., division of labor, quarreling/violence); mental and physical health of husband and wife; employment (history, status, attitudes, and aspirations); attitudes about children; satisfaction about various aspects of life (e.g., marriage, home, community, etc.); problem areas in marriage; divorce/separation (including previous discussions of and current behavior, attitudes about divorce); and involvement with friends, relatives, voluntary associations, and the community.

Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), 1996

Investigators: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

The 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) is a nationally representative panel survey of the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population. The survey was designed to provide nationally representative estimates of health care use, expenditures, sources of payments, and insurance coverage for this population. Begun in 1996, MEPS is an ongoing survey, administered to a new panel each year. MEPS comprises four component surveys: the Household Component, the Medical Provider Component, the Insurance Component, and the Nursing Home Component. The Household Component is the core survey and the 1996 Household Component yields comprehensive data that provide national estimates of the level and distribution of health care use and expenditures for calendar year 1996. The Household Component survey collects detailed data on demographic characteristics, health conditions, health status, use of medical care services, charges and payments, access to care, satisfaction with care, health insurance coverage, income, and employment. MEPS is valuable in its ability to link medical expenditures and health insurance data to survey respondents' demographic, employment, economic, health status, utilization of health services, and other characteristics.

Medical Outcome Study, 1986-1992

Investigators: Alvin R. Tarlov John E. Ware, Jr. Kenneth B. Wells Anita L. Stewart Cathy D. Sherbourne Ron D. Hays William H. Rogers Sheldon Greenfield Sandra H. Berry

The Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) is a large-scale multi-year survey of patients with prevalent and treatable chronic health conditions, particularly hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, and major depression. The MOS, which began in 1986, includes both cross-sectional and longitudinal components. The cross-sectional component describes the impact of chronic diseases on patient well-being as well as the medical care that patients received. The longitudinal component illustrates changes in health conditions over time and explains outcomes in terms of systems of care, provider specialty, styles of practice, and other factors that influence utilization of health care resources. The investigators employed a variety of assessment instruments, such as self-administered questionnaires for patients and clinicians, face-to-face interviews, telephone interviews, clinical reports, and health examinations. Furthermore, the SF-36 health survey was administered longitudinally, with a sample of 3,588 cases, in order to measure important health and functioning domains. The study samples were drawn from patients receiving health care from 523 solo or group practices in Boston, Chicago, and Los Angeles. The objectives of the study were assessment and evaluation of health status--defined in the MOS as the combination of: (1) clinical status, (2) functioning, and (3) well-being. In particular, the MOS investigated four prevalent and treatable chronic health conditions--three medical conditions of hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes as well as one psychological condition of major depression or dysthymia. The MOS examined these health conditions and their outcomes longitudinally in terms of health care, provider specialty, style of practice, and other factors that influenced utilization of health care resources. Among these, the study focused on the comparisons of (1) systems of care--HMOs, large multispecialty groups, and solo and small groups; (2) payment types--parepaid vs. fee-for-service; and (3) clinician specialty--specialist vs. generalist care. This large-scale multi-year study marked several methodological advances. First, the MOS measured the three parameters of health status in parallel, initially and longitudinally. Second, the MOS focused on patients' own personal evaluation of their functional status and well-being--an attempt to meet the recent needs of patient-based assessments of medical outcomes. Consequently, the MOS was the first large-scale study in which patients with different medical and psychiatric conditions completed the same self-administered questionnaires. Finally, the MOS is also distinctive in that it used both standardized patient surveys and clinical evaluations as measures of health status. With its large samples drawn from three urban cities in the U.S., the MOS increased standardization of general health surveys across studies and populations.

Minor Civil Division/CCDs, 1970, 1980, 1990

Investigators: National Opinion Research Center

Minor civil divisions (MCD's) are the primary political or administrative divisions of a county and represent many different kinds of legal entities with a wide variety of governmental and/or administrative functions. MCD's are variously designated as American Indian reservations, assessment districts, boroughs, election districts, gores, grants, magisterial districts, parish governing authority districts, plantations, precincts, purchases, supervisors' districts, towns, and townships. A major complication is that MCD boundaries change frequently and substantially. The Census Bureau has devised Census County Divisions (CCDs) which it uses for statistical reporting purposes instead of MCDs in most states where MCDs are small or have frequently changing boundaries. MCDs and CCDs are geographically comprehensive -- all the land in the United States is located in such an area. Both MCDs and CCDs are a possible substitute "neighborhood" if tract, block numbering area and enumeration district are not available. This dataset includes socio-economic and demographic data for all MCDs and CCDs in the US. The first data file consists of data from the 1970 Census, and has 35,072 cases and 217 variables. The second covers data from the 1980 Census, and includes 231 variables for 35,103 cases. The third data file covers data from the 1990 Census and includes 249 variables for 35,136 cases.

Multi-City Study of Factors Affecting Teenagers' Choice of Abortion Clinics, 1980

Investigators: Laurie Schwab Zabin and Samuel D. Clark, Jr.

These abortion clinic data were gathered as part of an investigation of why teenagers coming to family planning, prenatal or abortion clinics for the first time chose a particular clinic and why they (may have) delayed their decision to get professional help. Data were gathered from teens in the spring of 1980 at 40 clinics in eight cities (Atlanta, Baltimore, Cleveland, Denver, New York, Pittsburgh, St. Paul and Seattle). The family planning clinic sample included 12 Planned Parenthood affiliates, seven hospital facilities, six health department clinics and six independent clinics. Data were also gathered at four prenatal clinics, four abortion clinics, and one clinic of unknown type. The data from teens interviewed at family planning clinics, prenatal clinics, and abortion clinics have been archived separately as DAAPPP Data Set No. H2, H3, and H4, respectively. The present Data Set (H4) contains data from 255 teens who visited abortion clinics. The four principal reasons teens gave for choosing a particular abortion clinic were: the people there care about teens; they had no choice; someone chose it for them; and they heard good things about the doctors there.