Understanding Society User Support

Hello Robert

Thanks for the response and code.

In the code, when scsf1 (for example) is reverse coded, a new variable scsf1r is created and scsf1 is left unchanged. Does this mean that scsf1 in the released data is also unchanged, i.e. higher values reflect worse functioning? As I said previously this is what is implied by the Stata value labels (see below). However, I believe that in the released data, higher values reflect better functioning as you suggest. So does that mean the Stata value labels are wrong?

. ta scsf1

General |
      health |      Freq.     Percent        Cum.
-------------+-----------------------------------
     missing |        280        0.05        0.05
inapplicable |     28,200        5.44        5.50
       proxy |     26,142        5.05       10.55
     refusal |        619        0.12       10.67
  don't know |        286        0.06       10.72
   excellent |     63,843       12.33       23.05
   very good |    157,117       30.33       53.38
        good |    145,189       28.03       81.41
        fair |     70,354       13.58       95.00
        poor |     25,922        5.00      100.00
-------------+-----------------------------------
       Total |    517,952      100.00

Thanks
Mark

Hello Mark,

The released variables follow the structure presented in the survey questionnaire. You can refer to the Self-Completion SF12 Module here: https://www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/documentation/mainstage/questionnaire-modules/scasf12_w14/#scasf12_w14.scsf1 As a result, response option values are not reversed.

For scsf1 – general health, higher response values indicate worsening health. Reverse-coded variables are not publicly released; they are only created internally to compute the physical and mental component summaries (sf12pcs_dv and sf12mcs_dv).

I hope this information is helpful.

Best wishes,
Roberto Cavazos
Understanding Society User Support Team

Thanks for the clarification Robert.

Mark