2007 Family File Corrections to RAT_CAT3

For the 2007 NHIS Family File, an error in the variable RAT_CAT3 was discovered after the data file was released. RAT_CAT3 is a recoded poverty ratio variable which is created from several different variables. When the size of the family was 2 or less and the family’s income was at least $35,000 but was less than $50,000, RAT_CAT3 should have been set to “99 Unknown”. However, in the released 2007 NHIS Family File, these families actually have a RAT_CAT3 value equal to “17 2.00 – 3.99 (no further detail)”. This data release, which consists of several components, corrects this error. Listed below are links for a revised ASCII file, a SAS program which can be used to create a SAS dataset, and frequency counts for the modified RAT_CAT3 variable. Data users should note that the revised ASCII file only contains the following variables: survey year, household number, family number, and the modified RAT_CAT3 variable. This allows the information contained in the revised ASCII file to be merged with the data from the previously released family file. Data users should also note that the previously released 2007 Imputed Family Income/Personal Earnings files are not affected by this change.

• ASCII data [EXE - 163 KB]
• Sample SAS statements [SAS - 4 KB]
• Frequencies [PDF - 16 KB]