Table of Contents

Component Description

Social relationship, intrinsic to human nature and existence, is a multidimensional concept. The social support section provides personal interview data on emotional, material, and network (the number of members in a network) support. The questions were selected from the Yale Health and Aging Study (MacArthur Studies of Successful Aging) and the Social Network Index – Alameda County Study. Starting in 2005, an additional question about attendance at church or religious services was added to the social support section.

Eligible Sample

All survey participants 40 or more years of age were eligible. Before 2005, only participants 60 or more years of age were eligible.

Interview Setting and Mode of Administration

The questions were asked in the household interview as a part of a computer-assisted personal interview (CAPI).

Data Processing and Editing

Edits were made to ensure the completeness, consistency, and analytic usefulness of the data. The number of times that a respondent reported attending church or religious services (SSD044) was originally reported as number of times per day, week, month, or year and converted to times per year.

Analytic Notes

Since the questions were asked in the household interview, the interview sample weights may be used in their analysis. However, if the data is joined with data from the Mobile Examination Center (MEC), the MEC sample weights should be used.

Please refer to the Analytic Guidelines for further details on the use of sample weights and other analytic issues. The Analytic Guidelines are available on the NHANES website.

References

Codebook and Frequencies

SEQN - Respondent sequence number

Variable Name:
SEQN
SAS Label:
Respondent sequence number
English Text:
Respondent sequence number.
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS

SSQ011 - Anyone to help with emotional support

Variable Name:
SSQ011
SAS Label:
Anyone to help with emotional support
English Text:
Now I would like to ask a few questions about {your/SP's} friends and family. Can {you/SP} count on anyone to provide {you/him/her} with emotional support such as talking over problems or helping {you/him/her} make a difficult decision?
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 3605 3605
2 No 382 3987 SSD044
3 SP doesn't need help 29 4016 SSD044
7 Refused 2 4018 SSD044
9 Don't know 6 4024 SSD044
. Missing 1 4025

SSQ021A - Spouse gives most emotional support

Variable Name:
SSQ021A
SAS Label:
Spouse gives most emotional support
English Text:
In the last 12 months, who was most helpful in providing {you/SP} with emotional support?
English Instructions:
CODE ALL THAT APPLY
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
10 Spouse 1835 1835
77 Refused 1 1836
99 Don't know 2 1838
. Missing 2187 4025

SSQ021B - Daughter gives most emotional support

Variable Name:
SSQ021B
SAS Label:
Daughter gives most emotional support
English Text:
In the last 12 months, who was most helpful in providing {you/SP} with emotional support?
English Instructions:
CODE ALL THAT APPLY
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
11 Daughter 1007 1007
. Missing 3018 4025

SSQ021C - Son gives most emotional support

Variable Name:
SSQ021C
SAS Label:
Son gives most emotional support
English Text:
In the last 12 months, who was most helpful in providing {you/SP} with emotional support?
English Instructions:
CODE ALL THAT APPLY
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
12 Son 686 686
. Missing 3339 4025

SSQ021D - Sibling gives most emotional support

Variable Name:
SSQ021D
SAS Label:
Sibling gives most emotional support
English Text:
In the last 12 months, who was most helpful in providing {you/SP} with emotional support?
English Instructions:
CODE ALL THAT APPLY
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
13 Sister/brother 687 687
. Missing 3338 4025

SSQ021E - Parent gives most emotional support

Variable Name:
SSQ021E
SAS Label:
Parent gives most emotional support
English Text:
In the last 12 months, who was most helpful in providing {you/SP} with emotional support?
English Instructions:
CODE ALL THAT APPLY
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
14 Parent 312 312
. Missing 3713 4025

SSQ021F - Other relative gives emotional support

Variable Name:
SSQ021F
SAS Label:
Other relative gives emotional support
English Text:
In the last 12 months, who was most helpful in providing {you/SP} with emotional support?
English Instructions:
CODE ALL THAT APPLY
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
15 Other relative 294 294
. Missing 3731 4025

SSQ021G - Neighbors give most emotional support

Variable Name:
SSQ021G
SAS Label:
Neighbors give most emotional support
English Text:
In the last 12 months, who was most helpful in providing {you/SP} with emotional support?
English Instructions:
CODE ALL THAT APPLY
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
16 Neighbors 64 64
. Missing 3961 4025

SSQ021H - Co-workers give most emotional support

Variable Name:
SSQ021H
SAS Label:
Co-workers give most emotional support
English Text:
In the last 12 months, who was most helpful in providing {you/SP} with emotional support?
English Instructions:
CODE ALL THAT APPLY
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
17 Co-workers 32 32
. Missing 3993 4025

SSQ021I - Church members give emotional support

Variable Name:
SSQ021I
SAS Label:
Church members give emotional support
English Text:
In the last 12 months, who was most helpful in providing {you/SP} with emotional support?
English Instructions:
CODE ALL THAT APPLY
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
18 Church members 181 181
. Missing 3844 4025

SSQ021J - Club members give most emotional support

Variable Name:
SSQ021J
SAS Label:
Club members give most emotional support
English Text:
In the last 12 months, who was most helpful in providing {you/SP} with emotional support?
English Instructions:
CODE ALL THAT APPLY
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
19 Club members 5 5
. Missing 4020 4025

SSQ021K - Professionls give most emotional support

Variable Name:
SSQ021K
SAS Label:
Professionls give most emotional support
English Text:
In the last 12 months, who was most helpful in providing {you/SP} with emotional support?
English Instructions:
CODE ALL THAT APPLY
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
20 Professionals 35 35
. Missing 3990 4025

SSQ021L - Friends give most emotional support

Variable Name:
SSQ021L
SAS Label:
Friends give most emotional support
English Text:
In the last 12 months, who was most helpful in providing {you/SP} with emotional support?
English Instructions:
CODE ALL THAT APPLY
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
21 Friends 899 899
. Missing 3126 4025

SSQ021M - Others give most emotional support

Variable Name:
SSQ021M
SAS Label:
Others give most emotional support
English Text:
In the last 12 months, who was most helpful in providing {you/SP} with emotional support?
English Instructions:
CODE ALL THAT APPLY
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
22 Other 72 72
. Missing 3953 4025

SSQ021N - No one gives most emotional support

Variable Name:
SSQ021N
SAS Label:
No one gives most emotional support
English Text:
In the last 12 months, who was most helpful in providing {you/SP} with emotional support?
English Instructions:
CODE ALL THAT APPLY
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
23 No one 15 15
. Missing 4010 4025

SSQ031 - Needed more support in past year

Variable Name:
SSQ031
SAS Label:
Needed more support in past year
English Text:
[In the last 12 months], could {you/SP} have used more emotional support than {you/s/he} received?
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 718 718
2 No 2879 3597 SSD044
7 Refused 0 3597 SSD044
9 Don't know 8 3605 SSD044
. Missing 420 4025

SSQ041 - How much more support needed

Variable Name:
SSQ041
SAS Label:
How much more support needed
English Text:
Would you say that {you/SP} could have used . . .
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 A lot more emotional support 215 215
2 Some emotional support 248 463
3 A little more emotional support 254 717
7 Refused 0 717
9 Don't know 1 718
. Missing 3307 4025

SSD044 - How often attend church per year

Variable Name:
SSD044
SAS Label:
How often attend church per year
English Text:
How often {do you/does SP} attend church or religious services?
English Instructions:
Enter number of days
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 to 1826 Range of Values 4017 4017
77777 Refused 3 4020
99999 Don't know 4 4024
. Missing 1 4025

SSQ051 - Anyone to help with financial support

Variable Name:
SSQ051
SAS Label:
Anyone to help with financial support
English Text:
If {you/SP} need{s} some extra help financially, could {you/s/he} count on anyone to help {you/him/her}; for example, by paying any bills, housing costs, hospital visits, or providing {you/him/her} with food or clothes?
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 2792 2792
2 No 1150 3942
3 Offered help but wouldn't accept it 55 3997
7 Refused 3 4000
9 Don't know 24 4024
. Missing 1 4025

SSQ061 - Number of close friends

Variable Name:
SSQ061
SAS Label:
Number of close friends
English Text:
In general, how many close friends {do you/does SP} have? PROBE: By "close friends" I mean relatives or non-relatives that {you s/he} feel{s} at ease with, can talk to about private matters, and can call on for help.
English Instructions:
ENTER NUMBER OF CLOSE FRIENDS.
Target:
Both males and females 40 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Hard Edits:
0 to 50
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 to 50 Range of Values 3991 3991
7777 Refused 2 3993
9999 Don't know 29 4022
. Missing 3 4025