Support #2219
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Household identifier in hhresp datafiles
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Description
Hi,
I am doing some panel models at household levels. But in the hhresp spss datafile I cannot match data from different waves (e.g., wave i and j) via hidp (household identifier). There is no single match between them. Can you please let me know what is wrong or what I am missing here?
Best,
Milad
Updated by Understanding Society User Support Team 21 days ago
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Hello Milad,
There won’t be a direct match because the household identifier (hidp) is only unique within each wave. It cannot be used to link individual and household level files across different waves.
To conduct your analysis, you’ll first need to match individuals and households within the same wave before linking individuals across different waves.
We generally advise against longitudinal analysis at the household level due to changes in household composition over time. If households are used as the unit of analysis, challenges arise in defining them as new members join, others leave, or the household dissolves. These complexities can be avoided by using individuals as the primary unit of analysis.
I hope this information is helpful.
Best wishes,
Roberto Cavazos
Understanding Society User Support Team