Understanding Society User Support

Hi there,

I'm using UKHLS panel data for my MSc Behavioural Science dissertation in which I am trying to explore the impact of perceived neighbourhood social cohesion (NSC_index) on life satisfaction (lfsato). However, I can't work out how to run a fixed effects regression accounting for the complex survey design of UKHLS..

UKHLS recommends using the svy suite of commands so I have set up my do-file as follows:

// DECLARE COMPLEX SURVEY DESIGN
use UKHLS_long_acfil_cleaned_usable.dta

• set correct weights
  svyset, clear
  svyset l_psu [pweight = l_indscus_lw], strata(l_strata) singleunit(scaled)

My first question is: Have I done this correctly? Should l_psu be pidp instead given that is the smallest unit I am looking at?
and is single unit (scaled) correct?

Then, I declare the panel data set up:

// DECLARE PANEL DATA SET UP
//Use xtset command to tell stata that this data has a panel structure - pidp being the unique identifier and wave being the time variable
sort pidp wave
xtset pidp wave

I am now trying to run fixed effects regressions to work out whether a change in perceived neighbourhood social cohesion leads to a change in life satisfaction however, the command I would normally use for fixed effects regressions (xtreg) is not compatible with svy. Does anyone know of a command that could do this?

I have since come up with the following options:

//OPTIONS TO ACCOUNT FOR COMPLEX DESIGN/WEIGHTS

1. svy: reg lfsato NSC_index_nm i.wave (this leads to really high estimates as it doesn't account for individual fixed effects)
2. svy: reg lfsato NSC_index_nm i.wave, absorb (pidp)
3. xtreg lfsato NSC_index_nm i.wave [pweight=l_indscus_lw], fe vce(cluster pidp)
4. areg lfsato NSC_index_nm i.wave [pweight=l_indscus_lw], absorb(pidp) cluster(pidp)
5. reghdfe lfsato NSC_index_nm i.wave [pweight=l_indscus_lw], absorb(pidp) vce(cluster pidp strata) //chatGPT told me to add strata and then this command should mimic the syvset command?

In summary, my key questions are:

1. When I am declaring the complex survey design - have I done this correctly? Should l_psu be pidp instead? and is single unit (scaled) correct?
2. What syntax do I use to run a fixed effects regression that accounts for the complex survey design of UKHLS

Thank you in advance for any advice you can provide.

Emma