National Survey of Giving, Volunteering

Question

I'm writing about the 1997 Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participation. A student here raises a question about the variable AGEGRP, which has a frequency distribution as follows, from the User Guide:

Variable: AGEGRP Position: 518 Length: 1
Public microdata variable. Respondent Age
FREQ WTD
1 15-24 years 2,389 3,980,297
2 25-34 years 3,636 4,625,964
3 35-44 years 4,280 5,123,614
4 45-54 years 2,883 3,979,917
5 55-64 years 2,109 2,580,451
6 65 years and over 3,004 3,517,908
======= ==========
18,301 23,808,151

In the SPSS command code provided on the DLI FTP site, this variable is assigned a missing value for "6". So, in the converted SPSS System file we have 6 coded as 'missing', but the frequency 'missing' matches those "65 years and over" in the User Guide. Since our student is particularly interested in those 65 and over, this is a problem.

Is the AGEGRP value "6" incorrectly assigned as missing in the SPSS command code?

Answer

Just spoke with the DLI Team, and he confirmed that you are correct in your assumption - AGEGRP value -- incorrectly assigned as missing in the SPSS command code.

If you wish to go ahead and adjust the SPSS code to make use of the data immediately, please go ahead. We will work on fixing the SPSS code and reloading it on the sites.