I use ATUS 2003-2015 for my analysis. Since I need baseline characteristics of individuals, I link individuals from CPS ASEC in year X to CPS ASEC in year X+1 and then link individuals from ATUS in year X+1 to individuals from CPS ASEC in year X+1. In my analysis I use individuals observed in year X+1 and their characteristics in year X. Which weights can I use for my analysis? Can I just use the normal ATUS weights or do I have to make some adjustments?
There are no weights available that can be used for an analysis of ATUS linked to the CPS ASEC at two points in time, though you can make your own. This ATUS Exercise provides step-by-step instructions on merging the ATUS with CPS files. For part 3, “Prepare Weights File”, follow the guidelines on “Constructing your own weights” on page 7 of this documentation on linking ATUS-CPS Supplement Files. For more information about linking the CPS, see the presentations and exercises available from the 2018 and 2021 CPS Linking Workshops.
1 Like