1. The National Survey of Family Growth
Stephanie J. Ventura, M.A.
National Center for Health Statistics
Presented at the American Public Health Association Continuing Education Institutes
November 4, 2007 Washington, DC

2. Outline Background: Role, purpose, history of NSFG
Resources on the NSFG web site:
Analyses you can do with NSFG 2002 (Cycle 6) data
Interviewer-administered data
Self-administered (ACASI) data
Continuous Interviewing in the NSFG has begun.
How to contact the NSFG team

3. The NSFG’s Role Responds to Sec 306 of the PHS Act:
“NCHS...shall collect statistics on family formation, growth, and dissolution.”
Extends the birth registration system by providing data on behaviors that explain birth & pregnancy rates---e.g. sexual activity, contraception, infertility, & breastfeeding.
Serves the needs of other DHHS programs
NICHD, OPA, OASPE,
ACF’s OPRE & Children’s Bureau
CDC’s DRH; HIV Prevention Program (DHAP); & OWH.

4. Intermediate variables
Fertility
Social factors
Intercourse variables:
Timing of first intercourse
Percent of women who ever had
intercourse
Time spent in marriage
(separation, divorce, cohabitation)
Frequency of intercourse
Race/ethnicity
Religion
Labor force participation
Education
Income
Access to health care
Family background
Community environment
(economic, social, etc)
Conception variables:
Contraceptive use
Sterilization
Infertility
Pregnancy outcome (gestational) variables:
Miscarriage and stillbirth
Induced abortion
Live births

5. NSFG history in brief Cycle Year Scope # of Interviews Over-Samples
Average Length
Incentive 1
1973
Ever-Married Women 15-44
9,797
Black Women
60 Minutes No 2
1976
8,611 3
1982
All Women
15-44
7,969
Teens 4
1988
Women 15-44
8,450
70 Minutes 5
1995
10,847
Black Women Hispanic Women
100 Minutes
$20 6
2002
Men (First time)
12,571
W = 7,643
M = 4,928
Blacks
Hispanics
Ages 15-24
W= 85 min
M= 60 min
$40 7
2006+ (contin-uous)
Men 15-44
Goal: 5,000 per year
W=80 min
M=60 min

6. Available NSFG data files
Public use files for Cycles 1 thru 6 are available free on CD-ROM:
ACASI data files—which contain the sexual behavior data for Cycle 6 (2002)—are available on request. Application is on the web site. The file is free.
Contextual data file can be used thru NCHS Research Data Center. 1,000 variables at state, county, tract, block group are available. For a complete listing, see the NSFG web page.
You can also add your own variables.

7. 2002 NSFG data collection
Contractor: Institute for Social Research (ISR), University of Michigan
National sample in 121 areas
Blacks, Hispanics, teens over-sampled
In-person interviews using laptop computers
Interviewers did first 3/4 of the interview.
Last ¼ was done by respondent entering answers him/herself into the laptop. (“ACASI”)
Interviews in both English and Spanish
(929 in Spanish)

8. Selected NSFG 2002 Content Interviewer-Administered:
Pregnancy history (women); fatherhood history (men);
Marriage & cohabitation history,*
sexual partner history
Contraceptive history;* Wanted & unwanted births*
Attitudes about marriage, parenthood, children
Self-administered:
Sexual behavior, sexual orientation and attraction.
drug use, forced sex, income.
*more detailed for women than for men.

10. New on the NSFG web site:
Link to subscribe to the NSFG’s listserv.
PDF files of all 11 NCHS reports on Cycle 6
Codebooks for all 6 cycles
Questionnaires for all 6 cycles
Lists of publications for all 6 cycles
Describes continuous interviewing (Cycle 7)
Coming soon on the web site:
a list of findings, alphabetized by topic
Downloadable data files for all 6 cycles
(All 6 cycles available now on CD-ROM, free).

11. Webdoc: NSFG-6 online codebook

12. Examples of analyses you can do with NSFG Cycle 6
CAPI/Public Use data
Contraceptive use and method choice
Reproductive health
Teen Sexual Activity
Breast-feeding
Use of Reproductive Health Services-Men & Women
ACASI:
Sexual Behavior
HIV Risk Behaviors
HIV Testing

13. Percent of women contraceptors who were currently using female sterilization or the pill, by education: US, 2002
Female Sterilization
Pill
SOURCE: Mosher WD, Martinez GM, Chandra A, Abma JC, Willson SJ. Use of Contraception and Use of Family Planning Services in the United State: Dec National Center for Health Statistics. Advance Data 350.

14. Women who were not using a birth control method the last time they had an unintended pregnancy: percent giving specified reasons for non-use: US, 2002
Gm: We showed them this one before …would vote for deletion
JA: you mean at a prior debriefing? yes
SOURCE: Chandra A, Martinez GM, Mosher, WD Abma JC, Jones, J. Fertility, Family Planning, and Reproductive Health of U.S. Women: Data from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth. Vital & Health Statistics. Series 23, Number 25. Dec Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.

15. Percent of women 15 to 44 years of age ever treated for PID by whether ever douched in last 12 months, according to Hispanic origin and race: US, 2002
SOURCE: Chandra A, Martinez GM, Mosher, WD Abma JC, Jones, J. Fertility, Family Planning, and Reproductive Health of U.S. Women: Data from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth. Vital & Health Statistics. Series 23, Number 25. Dec Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.

16. Percentage of women who douched at all in the last year, by Hispanic origin and race and education: US, 2002
JA: Replace with slide from women’s report showing family planning service receipt
SOURCE: Chandra A, Martinez GM, Mosher, WD Abma JC, Jones, J. Fertility, Family Planning, and Reproductive Health of U.S. Women: Data from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth. Vital & Health Statistics. Series 23, Number 25. Dec Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.

17. Percent of never-married 15-19 year olds who were sexually experienced, by age: US, 1995 & 2002
Males
Females
SOURCE: Abma JC, Martinez GM, Mosher WD, and Dawson BS. Teenagers in the United States: Sexual Activity, Contraceptive Use, and Childbearing, Vital and Health Statistics. Series 23, No. 24. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics

18. Percent of babies breastfed at all: single births 1990-93 & 1997-2000
SOURCE: Chandra A. New Data on Breastfeeding. DataSpeak Web Conference, May 11, 2005.
Data from NSFG Cycles 5 and 6.

19. Use of Family Planning or Medical Services by Women 15-44 in Past Year: US, 2002
Percent
About 26% of M ♀ had a fp service in last 12 months
SOURCE: Chandra A, Martinez GM, Mosher, WD Abma JC, Jones, J. Fertility, Family Planning, and Reproductive Health of U.S. Women: Data from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth. Vital & Health Statistics. Series 23, Number 25. Dec Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.

20. Percentage of men years of age who used at least 1 health or family planning service from a medical provider in the last 12 months : US, 2002
Percent
SOURCE: Martinez GM, Chandra A, Abma JC, Jones J, and Mosher WD. Fertility, Contraception, Fatherhood: Data on Men and Women from Cycle 6 (2002) of the National Survey of Family Growth. Vital and Health Statistics. Series 23, Number 26. May Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.

21. Data collected in the 2002 NSFG’s self-administered section (ACASI)
Height and weight
Alcohol, tobacco & drug use in last 12 months
Non-voluntary sex (18-44 only)
Sexual orientation and attraction
STIs – ever diagnosed or treated in the last 12 months
Pregnancies had (women) or fathered (men)
Types of sexual contact

22. Percent of males & females years of age reporting each type of sexual contact, as reported in ACASI: US, 2002
SOURCE: Mosher, WD, Chandra A, & Jones J. Sexual Behavior and Selected Health Measures: Men and Women Years of Age: United States, Sep Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics Advance Data Number 362.

23. Self-administered section - HIV & STD risk (uses CDC HARS categories)
Behaviors in the last year
Drug-related risk:
Injection of non-prescription drugs
Use of illicit drugs
Sex-related risk:
If male: sexual contact with other males; If female: sex with men who have had sex with men
Sex with an HIV-positive partner
Sex with an IV drug user
Number of sexual partners in last year
Exchange of sex for drugs or money
Testing or treatment for sexually transmitted infection

24. Percent of males who had HIV risk behaviors in the last 12 months: Male-Male sex, 5 or more female sex partners, exchanged sex for money or drugs, or had an STD: US, 2002
SOURCE: Anderson JE, Mosher WD, and Chandra A. Measuring HIV Risk in the U.S. Population Aged 15-44: Results from Cycle 6 of the National Survey of Family Growth. Advance Data from Vital and Health Statistics, No Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.

25. Percent of men & women who are at increased risk of HIV due to their recent sexual or drug use behavior or recent STD treatment, by poverty status: US, 2002
Source: Anderson JE, Mosher WM, and Chandra A. (2006) Measuring HIV Risk in the US Population aged 15-44: Results from Cycle 6 of the National Survey of Family Growth. Advance Data from Vital and Health Statistics, No. 377, October Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.

26. Percent tested for HIV in last year by number of opposite-sex partners in the last year: US, 2002
SOURCE: Anderson JE, A Chandra, & WD Mosher. HIV Testing in the United States. Nov Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics, Advance Data Number 363.

27. Continuous interviewing for NSFG
Interviewing began June 2006
5,500 interviews completed in the first year.
(better than expected).
Why continuous interviewing?
More timely & more cost effective data on (e.g.):
HPV vaccine
New contraceptive methods on the market
Emergency contraception (ever, last 12 months, provider)
Assessing populations at risk for HIV/STD and Unintended pregnancy

28. Schedule for Data Release from Continuous Interviewing
Fall 2009:
First dataset released, including around 12,000 interviews conducted in
Fall 2011:
Second dataset released, including around 20,000 interviews conducted in
Release dataset every 2-3 years beginning in 2009

29. How to contact us Mail: NSFG Team, NCHS, 3311 Toledo RD,
Rm 7318, Hyattsville, MD 20782
Voice mail:
Web site:
NSFG staff: Joyce Abma, Anjani Chandra, Jo Jones,
Paula Goodwin, Gladys Martinez,
Brittany McGill, Bill Mosher