At A Glance
Noteworthy Characteristics
- Provides data on children’s body mass index.
- Longitudinal survey of children, adolescents, and young adults, which can be linked to longitudinal information about the characteristics and behaviors of their mothers.
- Provides basic information about participants' sleep and physical activity, including activity at work and sedentary behavior.
Website
https://www.nlsinfo.org/content/cohorts/NLSY79-Children
Purpose
To collect data about demographics, health, and development of children and their mothers in the United States (U.S.).
Target Population
Children and adolescents in the U.S. who were born to women who participated in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 (NLSY79).
Conducted
Began in 1986. Conducted biennially. Most recent year available is 2014.
Sponsor
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Funding provided by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Special Note(s)
See also: National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 (NLSY79) and National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97) .
Participating children were born to mothers who participated in the NLSY79. The collection of data on these children began in 1986 with a battery of cognitive, social, emotional, and physiological assessments administered to the NLSY79 mothers. These biennial assessments are administered primarily in person. Beginning in 1988, children ages 10 years and older have answered a self-administered set of questions about family, friends, jobs, school, after-school activities, religious attendance, smoking, alcohol and drug use, and other topics. Starting in 1994, children who reach age 15 years by December 31 of the survey year complete a questionnaire that is similar to the main NLSY79 and asks about work experiences, training, schooling, health, fertility, attitudes, and work expectations.
Sampling
Sample Design
Longitudinal survey of children born to female NLSY79 respondents. Provides a nationally representative sample of children born to women born between 1957 and 1964 and living in the U.S. in 1979.
Sample Size
Approximately 11,500 participants, ranging in age from newborn to young adults in their late 30s in 2008.
Special Note(s)
Data were not collected for all eligible children of the NLSY79 mothers in every round of the survey. The sample of eligible children increased over time as more children were born to the women who participated in the NLSY79. These women are now nearing the end of their fertility cycle.
Key Variables
Demographic
| Name | Methods of Assessment |
|---|---|
| Child’s date of birth and age | Interview/questionnaire |
| Disability (cognitive; equipment use; general; hearing; vision) | Interview/questionnaire |
| Race/ethnicity | Interview/questionnaire |
| Sex | Interview/questionnaire |
Diet-Related
| Name | Methods of Assessment |
|---|---|
| Breakfast choices available at home | Interview/questionnaire |
| Parental rules regarding food choices | Interview/questionnaire |
| Participation in national school breakfast and lunch programs (reduced-price and free) | Interview/questionnaire |
Physical Activity-Related
| Name | Methods of Assessment |
|---|---|
| Light and vigorous physical activity | Self report |
| Neighborhood safety | Self report, proxy report |
| Parental rules limiting television viewing | Self report |
| Participation in sports/exercise | Self report |
| Physical activity at work (adolescents ages 15 years and older) | Self report (young adult survey only) |
| Sedentary activities (televison and computer use) | Self report, proxy report |
Sleep-Related
| Name | Methods of Assessment |
|---|---|
| Sleep continuity: Other (list variable) | Interview/Questionnaire |
| Sleep disordered breathing: Asthma | Interview/Questionnaire |
| Sleep disorders: Parasomnias/nightmares/night terrors | Interview/Questionnaire |
| Sleep disturbance and quality: Other (restlessness) | Interview/Questionnaire |
| Sleep duration and quantity: Total sleep time during workdays/schooldays | Interview/Questionnaire |
| Sleep timing and regularity: Regularity of bedtime | Interview/Questionnaire |
| Sleep-related substance use: Use of sleep aids | Interview/Questionnaire |
| Social sleep environment: Other (type of residence) | Interview/Questionnaire |
Weight-Related
| Name | Methods of Assessment |
|---|---|
| Height and weight | Self report, proxy report, measured |
Geocode/Linkage
| Name | Methods of Assessment |
|---|---|
| County, state, metropolitan statistical area | N/A |
Data Access and Cost
Data Availability
Public-use data, questionnaires, and other documentation can be obtained online by using the NLS Web Investigator.
Cost
Free of charge.
Special Note(s)
Contact the Bureau of Labor Statistics to obtain access to restricted-use data (i.e., geocoded data files).
Geocode/Linkage
Geocode Variable(s)
Researchers can request access to variables on county, state, and metropolitan statistical area and use the data at the facilities of their own institutions by completing an application.
Researchers can request access to variables on zip code and census tract and use those variables at the BLS data enclave in Washington, DC. Learn more about the process required to obtain these variables.
Existing Linkages
Data from the NLSY79 Children and Young Adults can be linked to data for their mothers who participated in the NLSY79.
Special Note(s)
Learn more about linking NLSY79 and NLSY79 Children and Young Adult data files.
Selected Publications
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has a searchable bibliography of all known research examining data from the NLSY97 and the other BLS National Longitudinal Surveys.
General
Powell LM, Bao YJ. Food prices, access to food outlets and child weight. Economics and Human Biology 2009;7(1):64-72.
Resources
Documentation/Codebook(s)
https://www.nlsinfo.org/content/cohorts/nlsy79-children/topical-guide
