NHIS Alcohol Recode 1997-2018

Variable: ALCSTAT

SAS code is provided for the creation of an alcohol drinking status recode [ALCSTAT] for NHIS data years 1997-2003. Beginning with data year 2004, the identical recode has been released on the public use data file. A slightly different version of the same recode [ALC7STAT] was on the public use data files for years 2001-2003. The 2001-2003 recode did not separate “former drinker, frequency unknown” from other unknown drinking status groups. The SAS code provided allows for creating identical variables for each data year 1997 through 2018. The code is written with the understanding that the user has already downloaded and created a SAS data set that is stored in the ‘C’ drive. Users should adjust paths as needed for their systems.