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Purpose. This was a Data Capacity-Building Project, to build a robust comparative effectiveness research infrastructure, agenda, and collaborative partnerships focused on eliminating health disparities. Specifically, a database was built comprised of all Medicaid enrollees and claims in the states that share in common both adverse minority health outcomes and the historical roots of racial health disparities in the South.

Setting and Participants. A 100 percent sample of four years 2004-2007 of Medicaid Analytic Extract (MAX-file) data (plus Medicare-linked claims for dual-eligibles) from fourteen southern states, representing 3.8 to 5.4 million persons each year (one-third of all United States Medicaid enrollees, nearly half [48 percent] of African American and 21 percent of Latino Medicaid enrollees in the United States) was obtained from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). This region is the epicenter of the Black-White health disparities epidemic, and has also experienced a recent and rapid influx of Latino immigrants. This project provided support for personnel and infrastructure needed to efficiently organize and analyze these data to support minority investigators. The HBCU-based team had extensive previous experience training health services researchers (especially minority investigators) to use Medicaid claims data for research.

Specific Aims: Using Medicaid Claims Data

1. To build a Medicaid claims dataset (including socieconomic, contextual, and geospatial analytic variables, NDC cross-walk data and therapeutic class codes, as well as certain Medicare data for dual-eligibles) to support projects focused on the intersection between disparities research and comparative effectiveness research in clinically and socially complex patient populations.

2. To create an efficient process for assisting non-Morehouse investigators to develop research protocols, analysis plans, CMS data re-use requests, and analytic files for collaborative research.

3. To train, develop, cultivate, and support emerging minority investigators (especially at Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and other minority-serving institutions) as independently-funded health services researchers who are increasingly proficient in multivariate analysis of Medicaid and Medicare claims data.

4. Cultivate comparative effectiveness and disparities research collaborations with Georgia Tech experts in mathematics, complexity science, simulation modeling, and interactive computing.

Relevance. Medicaid patients are characterized by clinical and social complexity -- the very characteristics which often exclude them from clinical trials and yet drive health disparities. This Medicaid-based dataset populates studies that help users understand how local area, provider-level, and patient-level differences in treatment (natural experiments in comparative effectiveness) influence clinical and economic outcomes. Variation implies that disparities are not inevitable. The comparative impact of this natural variation can be measured in meaningful outcomes such as emergency department visits, hospital admissions, inpatient bed-days, deaths, and total Medicaid expenditures, as well as community-level disparity rate-ratios. Medicaid data allow users to follow a complex patient (e.g., comorbid diabetes and schizophrenia or COPD and CHF) from treatment to outcomes through every billable service in the health care system (i.e., from doctor's visit to lab tests to prescriptions to emergency room visits or hospital admissions). Morehouse School of Medicine has a unique ability to develop a new cadre of minority investigators to conduct and interpret the results of health services research with a racially sensitive, culturally competent perspective.

Data Overview. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services produces the MAX-files from Medicaid Statistical Information System (MSIS) data submitted by each state, with some data cleaning and validation by CMS sub-contractors before data are released to researchers.

The MAX-file data from CMS were loaded onto encrypted, secure servers at Morehouse School of Medicine. Research analytic files were created for each sub-project, including sickle cell disease, diabetes and schizophrenia; asthma; dementia; and congestive heart failure. For specific sub-projects, contextual variables from census data or area resource file were linked by county FIPS code.

Data Access. The data cannot be made publicly available. Data are stored on Morehouse School of Medicine encrypted servers, and may be used only for projects covered within the aims of the original research protocol and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)-approved data use agreement. Data sharing is allowed only for research protocols approved under data re-use requests by the CMS privacy board. The CMS process for data re-use requests is described at the ResDAC Web site.

Due to limitations of research staff within the Morehouse National Center for Primary Care, and limitations of the existing CMS data use agreement, only re-use requests consistent with the original aims of the approved research protocol are considered (temporal and geographic variation in racial-ethnic disparities in quality, access and outcomes for Medicaid enrollees in 14 southern states). Specific aims of the current research protocol define the boundaries of what kind of research questions could be answered or sub-projects developed within the existing research protocol and data use agreement (see above "Specific Aims" section). A worksheet for developing an analysis plan for a specific research question is attached. Parties interested in the data should contact George Rust, MD, MPH ([email protected]).

Six SAS program syntax files used for data analysis, however, are available on the ICPSR site.

Aside from data re-use requests, the Morehouse National Center for Primary Care is open to collaborations which address these research aims and are consistent with their health equity research priorities, in which analyses could be performed by the Morehouse National Center for Primary Care research team and papers authored or co-authored by faculty from other minority-serving institutions or affiliated with the Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) Translational Research Network (RTRN).

This data collection is comprised of data from the 2006 Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC), and is a part of the Current Population Survey (CPS) Series. The Census Bureau conducts the ASEC (known as the Annual Demographic File prior to 2003) over a three-month period, in February, March, and April, with most of the data collected in the month of March. The ASEC uses two sets of survey questions, the basic CPS and a set of supplemental questions.

The CPS, administered monthly, is a labor force survey providing current estimates of the economic status and activities of the population of the United States. Specifically, the CPS provides estimates of total employment (both farm and nonfarm), nonfarm self-employed persons, domestics, and unpaid helpers in nonfarm family enterprises, wage and salaried employees, and estimates of total unemployment.

In addition to the basic CPS questions, respondents were asked questions from the ASEC, which provides supplemental data on poverty, geographic mobility/migration, and work experience. Comprehensive work experience information was given on the employment status, occupation, and industry of persons aged 15 and over. Additional data for persons aged 15 and older were available concerning weeks worked and hours per week worked, reason not working full time, total income and supplemental income components. Additional data are included that cover training and assistance received under welfare reform programs such as job readiness training, child care services, or job skill training. Data covering nine noncash income sources: food stamps, school lunch program, employer-provided group health insurance plan, employer-provided pension plan, personal health insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, CHAMPUS or military health care, and energy assistance are also included.

Demographic variables include age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, marital status, veteran status, educational attainment, occupation, and income. Data on employment and income refer to the previous calendar year, although demographic data refer to the time of the survey.

The original ASEC data provided by the Census Bureau are distributed in a hierarchical file structure, with three record types present: Household, Family, and Person. The ASEC is designed to be a multistage stratified sample of housing units, where the hierarchical file structure can be thought of as a person within a family within a household unit. Here the main unit of analysis is the household unit. For ease of analysis at the person-level, ICPSR created a rectangular file structure that contains a record for every person with the respective Household and Family variables prepended to the Person variables. Part 1 contains the rectangular data file and Part 2 contains the original hierarchical data file.

This data collection is comprised of data from the 2007 Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC), and is a part of the Current Population Survey (CPS) Series. The Census Bureau conducts the ASEC (known as the Annual Demographic File prior to 2003) over a three-month period, in February, March, and April, with most of the data collected in the month of March. The ASEC uses two sets of survey questions, the basic CPS and a set of supplemental questions.

The CPS, administered monthly, is a labor force survey providing current estimates of the economic status and activities of the population of the United States. Specifically, the CPS provides estimates of total employment (both farm and nonfarm), nonfarm self-employed persons, domestics, and unpaid helpers in nonfarm family enterprises, wage and salaried employees, and estimates of total unemployment.

In addition to the basic CPS questions, respondents were asked questions from the ASEC, which provides supplemental data on poverty, geographic mobility/migration, and work experience. Comprehensive work experience information was given on the employment status, occupation, and industry of persons aged 15 and over. Additional data for persons aged 15 and older were available concerning weeks worked and hours per week worked, reason not working full time, total income and supplemental income components. Additional data are included that cover training and assistance received under welfare reform programs such as job readiness training, child care services, or job skill training. Data covering nine noncash income sources: food stamps, school lunch program, employer-provided group health insurance plan, employer-provided pension plan, personal health insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, CHAMPUS or military health care, and energy assistance are also included.

Demographic variables include age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, marital status, veteran status, educational attainment, occupation, and income. Data on employment and income refer to the previous calendar year, although demographic data refer to the time of the survey.

The original ASEC data provided by the Census Bureau are distributed in a hierarchical file structure, with three record types present: Household, Family, and Person. The ASEC is designed to be a multistage stratified sample of housing units, where the hierarchical file structure can be thought of as a person within a family within a household unit. Here the main unit of analysis is the household unit. For ease of analysis at the person-level, ICPSR created a rectangular file structure that contains a record for every person with the respective Household and Family variables prepended to the Person variables. Part 1 contains the rectangular data file and Part 2 contains the original hierarchical data file.

This data collection is comprised of data from the 2008 Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC), and is a part of the Current Population Survey (CPS) Series. The Census Bureau conducts the ASEC (known as the Annual Demographic File prior to 2003) over a three-month period, in February, March, and April, with most of the data collected in the month of March. The ASEC uses two sets of survey questions, the basic CPS and a set of supplemental questions.

The CPS, administered monthly, is a labor force survey providing current estimates of the economic status and activities of the population of the United States. Specifically, the CPS provides estimates of total employment (both farm and nonfarm), nonfarm self-employed persons, domestics, and unpaid helpers in nonfarm family enterprises, wage and salaried employees, and estimates of total unemployment.

In addition to the basic CPS questions, respondents were asked questions from the ASEC, which provides supplemental data on poverty, geographic mobility/migration, and work experience. Comprehensive work experience information was given on the employment status, occupation, and industry of persons aged 15 and over. Additional data for persons aged 15 and older were available concerning weeks worked and hours per week worked, reason not working full time, total income and supplemental income components. Additional data are included that cover training and assistance received under welfare reform programs such as job readiness training, child care services, or job skill training. Data covering nine noncash income sources: food stamps, school lunch program, employer-provided group health insurance plan, employer-provided pension plan, personal health insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, CHAMPUS or military health care, and energy assistance are also included.

Demographic variables include age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, marital status, veteran status, educational attainment, occupation, and income. Data on employment and income refer to the previous calendar year, although demographic data refer to the time of the survey.

The original ASEC data provided by the Census Bureau are distributed in a hierarchical file structure, with three record types present: Household, Family, and Person. The ASEC is designed to be a multistage stratified sample of housing units, where the hierarchical file structure can be thought of as a person within a family within a household unit. Here the main unit of analysis is the household unit.

This data collection is comprised of data from the 2009 Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC), and is a part of the Current Population Survey (CPS) Series. The Census Bureau conducts the ASEC (known as the Annual Demographic File prior to 2003) over a three-month period, in February, March, and April, with most of the data collected in the month of March. The ASEC uses two sets of survey questions, the basic CPS and a set of supplemental questions.

The CPS, administered monthly, is a labor force survey providing current estimates of the economic status and activities of the population of the United States. Specifically, the CPS provides estimates of total employment (both farm and nonfarm), nonfarm self-employed persons, domestics, and unpaid helpers in nonfarm family enterprises, wage and salaried employees, and estimates of total unemployment.

In addition to the basic CPS questions, respondents were asked questions from the ASEC, which provides supplemental data on poverty, geographic mobility/migration, and work experience. Comprehensive work experience information was given on the employment status, occupation, and industry of persons aged 15 and over. Additional data for persons aged 15 and older were available concerning weeks worked and hours per week worked, reason not working full time, total income and supplemental income components. Additional data are included that cover training and assistance received under welfare reform programs such as job readiness training, child care services, or job skill training. Data covering nine noncash income sources: food stamps, school lunch program, employer-provided group health insurance plan, employer-provided pension plan, personal health insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, CHAMPUS or military health care, and energy assistance are also included.

Demographic variables include age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, marital status, veteran status, educational attainment, occupation, and income. Data on employment and income refer to the previous calendar year, although demographic data refer to the time of the survey.

The original ASEC data provided by the Census Bureau are distributed in a hierarchical file structure, with three record types present: Household, Family, and Person. The ASEC is designed to be a multistage stratified sample of housing units, where the hierarchical file structure can be thought of as a person within a family within a household unit. Here the main unit of analysis is the household unit.

This data collection is comprised of data from the 2010 Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC), and is a part of the Current Population Survey (CPS) Series. The Census Bureau conducts the ASEC (known as the Annual Demographic File prior to 2003) over a three-month period, in February, March, and April, with most of the data collected in the month of March. The ASEC uses two sets of survey questions, the basic CPS and a set of supplemental questions.

The CPS, administered monthly, is a labor force survey providing current estimates of the economic status and activities of the population of the United States. Specifically, the CPS provides estimates of total employment (both farm and nonfarm), nonfarm self-employed persons, domestics, and unpaid helpers in nonfarm family enterprises, wage and salaried employees, and estimates of total unemployment.

In addition to the basic CPS questions, respondents were asked questions from the ASEC, which provides supplemental data on poverty, geographic mobility/migration, and work experience. Comprehensive work experience information was given on the employment status, occupation, and industry of persons aged 15 and over. Additional data for persons aged 15 and older were available concerning weeks worked and hours per week worked, reason not working full time, total income and supplemental income components. Additional data are included that cover training and assistance received under welfare reform programs such as job readiness training, child care services, or job skill training. Data covering nine noncash income sources: food stamps, school lunch program, employer-provided group health insurance plan, employer-provided pension plan, personal health insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, CHAMPUS or military health care, and energy assistance are also included.

Demographic variables include age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, marital status, veteran status, educational attainment, occupation, and income. Data on employment and income refer to the previous calendar year, although demographic data refer to the time of the survey.

The original ASEC data provided by the Census Bureau are distributed in a hierarchical file structure, with three record types present: Household, Family, and Person. The ASEC is designed to be a multistage stratified sample of housing units, where the hierarchical file structure can be thought of as a person within a family within a household unit. Here the main unit of analysis is the household unit.

The Annual Social and Economic (ASEC) 2015 Supplement is part of the Current Population Survey (CPS) Series. The CPS is a source of the official Government statistics on employment and unemployment. The Census Bureau conducts the ASEC (known as the Annual Demographic File prior to 2003) over a three-month period, in February, March, and April, with most of the data collected in the month of March. The ASEC uses two sets of survey questions, the basic CPS and a set of supplemental questions.

The CPS, administered monthly, is a labor force survey providing current estimates of the economic status and activities of the population of the United States. Specifically, the CPS provides estimates of total employment (both farm and nonfarm), nonfarm self-employed persons, domestics, and unpaid helpers in nonfarm family enterprises, wage, and salaried employees, and estimates of total unemployment.

In addition to the basic CPS questions, respondents were asked questions from the ASEC, which provides supplemental data on poverty, geographic mobility/migration, and work experience. Comprehensive work experience information was given on the employment status, occupation, and industry of persons aged 15 and over. Additional data for persons aged 15 and older were available concerning weeks worked and hours per week worked, reason not working full-time, total income and supplemental income components. Demographic variables include age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, marital status, veteran status, educational attainment, occupation, and income. Data on employment and income refer to the previous calendar year, although demographic data refer to the time of the survey.

The occupation and industry information variables in this data collection can help the data users identify individuals who worked in arts and culture related fields. The occupations are listed in a category entitled "Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations," which includes professions such as artists, designers, actors, musicians, and writers (see Appendix B of the User Guide for further category details). Industries related to the arts and culture are in the "Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation" category (see Appendix C of the User Guide for further category details).

The ASEC data provided by the Census Bureau are distributed in a hierarchical file structure, with three record types present: Household, Family, and Person. The ASEC is designed to be a multistage stratified sample of housing units, where the hierarchical file structure can be thought of as a person within a family within a household unit. Here the main unit of analysis is the household unit.

This data collection is comprised of responses from the March and April installments of the 1986 Current Population Survey (CPS). Both the March and April surveys used two sets of questions, the basic CPS and a separate supplement for each month.

The CPS, administered monthly, is a labor force survey providing current estimates of the economic status and activities of the population of the United States. Specifically, the CPS provides estimates of total employment (both farm and nonfarm), nonfarm self-employed persons, domestics, and unpaid helpers in nonfarm family enterprises, wage and salaried employees, and estimates of total unemployment.

In addition to the basic CPS questions, respondents were asked supplemental questions in March about income. About 42,200 of the housing units interviewed in March were interviewed again in April. In these housing units all women 18 years of age and older who had children were asked the April CPS supplemental questions. These questions concerned child support and alimony payments. Of the 43,091 women found eligible in March, 37,671 of them matched women interviewed in April. For the remaining 5,420 women interviewed in March, the child support and alimony information was imputed.

Information regarding child support and alimony was collected to determine the size and distribution of the female population with children affected by divorce or separation. Moreover, the data were collected to better understand the characteristics of persons requiring child support and alimony, and to help develop and maintain programs designed to assist in obtaining child support. These data highlight alimony and child support arrangements made at the time of separation or divorce, amount of payments actually received, and value and type of any property settlement.

This collection also contains data covering nine noncash income sources: food stamps, school lunch program, employer-provided group health insurance, employer-provided pension plan, personal health insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS), and energy assistance. Demographic variables include age, sex, race, marital status, veteran status, educational attainment, occupation, and income. Data on employment and income refer to the preceding year, although other demographic data refer to the time at which the survey was administered.

This data collection is comprised of responses from the March and April installments of the 1988 Current Population Survey (CPS). Both the March and April surveys used two sets of questions, the basic CPS and a separate supplement for each month.

The CPS, administered monthly, is a labor force survey providing current estimates of the economic status and activities of the population of the United States. Specifically, the CPS provides estimates of total employment (both farm and nonfarm), nonfarm self-employed persons, domestics, and unpaid helpers in nonfarm family enterprises, wage and salaried employees, and estimates of total unemployment.

In addition to the basic CPS questions, respondents were asked supplemental questions in March about the economic situation of persons and families for the previous year. About 39,000 of the housing units interviewed in March were interviewed again in April. In these housing units, all women aged 15 and older, who had children, were asked the April CPS supplemental questions. These questions concerned child support and alimony payments. Of the 42,867 women found eligible in March, 36,647 of these women matched women interviewed in April. For the remaining 6,220 women interviewed in March, the child support and alimony information was imputed.

Information regarding child support and alimony was collected to determine the size and distribution of the female population with children affected by divorce or separation. Moreover, the data were collected to better understand the characteristics of persons requiring child support and alimony, and to help develop and maintain programs designed to assist in obtaining child support. These data highlight alimony and child support arrangements made at the time of separation or divorce, amount of payments actually received, and value and type of any property settlement.

This collection also contains data covering nine noncash income sources: food stamps, school lunch program, employer-provided group health insurance, employer-provided pension plan, personal health insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS) and energy assistance. Demographic variables include age, sex, race, marital status, veteran status, educational attainment, occupation, and income. Data on employment and income refer to the preceding year, although other demographic data refer to the time at which the survey was administered.

This data collection is comprised of responses from the March and April installments of the 1990 Current Population Survey (CPS). Both the March and April surveys used two sets of questions, the basic CPS and a separate supplement for each month.

The CPS, administered monthly, is a labor force survey providing current estimates of the economic status and activities of the population of the United States. Specifically, the CPS provides estimates of total employment (both farm and nonfarm), nonfarm self-employed persons, domestics, and unpaid helpers in nonfarm family enterprises, wage and salaried employees, and estimates of total unemployment.

In addition to the basic CPS questions, respondents were asked supplemental questions in March about the economic situation of persons and families for the previous year. About 39,000 of the housing units interviewed in March were interviewed again in April. In these housing units all women 15 years of age and older who had children were asked the April CPS supplemental questions. These questions concerned child support and alimony payments. Of the 43,018 women found eligible in March, 39,474 of them women matched women interviewed in April. For the remaining 3,544 women interviewed in March, the child support and alimony information was imputed.

Information regarding child support and alimony was collected to determine the size and distribution of the female population with children affected by divorce or separation. Moreover, the data were collected to better understand the characteristics of persons requiring child support and alimony, and to help develop and maintain programs designed to assist in obtaining child support. These data highlight alimony and child support arrangements made at the time of separation or divorce, amount of payments actually received, and value and type of any property settlement.

This collection also contains data covering nine noncash income sources: food stamps, school lunch program, employer-provided group health insurance, employer-provided pension plan, personal health insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS), and energy assistance. Demographic variables include age, sex, race, marital status, veteran status, educational attainment, occupation, and income. Data on employment and income refer to the preceding year, although other demographic data refer to the time at which the survey was administered.

This data collection is comprised of responses from the March and April installments of the 1992 Current Population Survey (CPS). Both the March and April surveys used two sets of questions, the basic CPS and a separate supplement for each month.

The CPS, administered monthly, is a labor force survey providing current estimates of the economic status and activities of the population of the United States. Specifically, the CPS provides estimates of total employment (both farm and nonfarm), nonfarm self-employed persons, domestics, and unpaid helpers in nonfarm family enterprises, wage and salaried employees, and estimates of total unemployment.

In addition to the basic CPS questions, respondents were asked supplemental questions in March about the economic situation of persons and families for the previous year. About 53,000 of the housing units interviewed in March were interviewed again in April. In these housing units, all women aged 15 years and older, who had children, were asked the April CPS supplemental questions. These questions concerned child support and alimony payments. Of the 84,000 women found eligible in March, 80,000 of these women matched women interviewed in April. For the remaining 4,000 women interviewed in March the child support and alimony information was imputed.

Information regarding child support and alimony were collected to determine the size and distribution of the female population with children affected by divorce or separation. Moreover, the data were collected to better understand the characteristics of persons requiring child support and alimony, and to help develop and maintain programs designed to assist in obtaining child support. These data highlight alimony and child support arrangements made at the time of separation or divorce, amount of payments actually received, and value and type of any property settlement.

This collection also contains data covering nine noncash income sources: food stamps, school lunch program, employer-provided group health insurance, employer-provided pension plan, personal health insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS), and energy assistance. Demographic variables include age, sex, race, marital status, veteran status, educational attainment, occupation, and income. Data on employment and income refer to the preceding year, although other demographic data refer to the time at which the survey was administered.

This data collection is comprised of responses from the March and April installments of the 2004 Current Population Survey (CPS). Both the March and April surveys used two sets of questions, the basic CPS and a separate supplement for each month.

The CPS, administered monthly, is a labor force survey providing current estimates of the economic status and activities of the population of the United States. Specifically, the CPS provides estimates of total employment (both farm and nonfarm), nonfarm self-employed persons, domestics, and unpaid helpers in nonfarm family enterprises, wage and salaried employees, and estimates of total unemployment.

In addition to the basic CPS questions, respondents were asked supplemental questions in March about the economic situation of persons and families for the previous year. The same housing units interviewed in March were contacted again to be interviewed in April. In these housing units, all women aged 15 years and older, who had children, were asked the April CPS supplemental questions, which concerned child support. The March supplement data were matched to April supplement data for households that were in the sample in both March and April 2004. In March 2004, there were 4,816 household members eligible, of which 1,463 required imputation of child support data.

Information regarding child support was collected to determine the size and distribution of the population with children affected by divorce or separation, or other relationship status change. Moreover, the data were collected to better understand the characteristics of persons requiring child support, and to help develop and maintain programs designed to assist in obtaining child support. These data highlight alimony and child support arrangements made at the time of separation or divorce, amount of payments actually received, and value and type of any property settlement.

This collection also contains data covering nine noncash income sources: food stamps, school lunch program, employer-provided group health insurance plan, employer-provided pension plan, personal health insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS), and energy assistance. The collection also contains data covering training and assistance received under welfare reform programs, such as job readiness training, child care services, or job skill training. Demographic variables include age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, marital status, veteran status, educational attainment, occupation, and income. Data on employment and income refer to the preceding year, although other demographic data refer to the time at which the survey was administered.

This data collection is comprised of responses from the March and April installments of the 2006 Current Population Survey (CPS). Both the March and April surveys used two sets of questions, the basic CPS and a separate supplement for each month.

The CPS, administered monthly, is a labor force survey providing current estimates of the economic status and activities of the population of the United States. Specifically, the CPS provides estimates of total employment (both farm and nonfarm), nonfarm self-employed persons, domestics, and unpaid helpers in nonfarm family enterprises, wage and salaried employees, and estimates of total unemployment.

In addition to the basic CPS questions, respondents were asked questions from the March supplement, known as the Annual Social and Economic (ASEC) supplement. The ASEC provides supplemental data on work experience, income, noncash benefits, and migration. Comprehensive work experience information was given on the employment status, occupation, and industry of persons 15 years old and older. Additional data for persons 15 years old and older are available concerning weeks worked and hours per week worked, reason not working full time, total income and income components, and place of residence on March 1, 2005. The March supplement also contains data covering nine noncash income sources: food stamps, school lunch program, employer-provided group health insurance plan, employer-provided pension plan, personal health insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, CHAMPUS or military health care, and energy assistance. Questions covering training and assistance received under welfare reform programs, such as job readiness training, child care services, or job skill training were also asked in the March supplement.

Respondents were asked supplemental questions in April about the economic situation of persons and families for the previous year. All household members 15 years of age and older that are a biological parent of children in the household from an absent parent were asked detailed questions about child support and alimony. Information regarding child support was collected to determine the size and distribution of the population with children affected by divorce or separation, or other relationship status change. Moreover, the data were collected to better understand the characteristics of persons requiring child support, and to help develop and maintain programs designed to assist in obtaining child support. These data highlight alimony and child support arrangements made at the time of separation or divorce, amount of payments actually received, and value and type of any property settlement.

The April supplement data were matched to March supplement data for households that were in the sample in both March and April 2006. In March 2006, there were 4,635 household members eligible, of which 1,453 required imputation of child support data. When matching the March 2006 and April 2006 data sets, there were 190 eligible people on the March file that did not match to people on the April file. Child support data for these 190 people were imputed. The remaining 1,263 imputed cases were due to nonresponse to the child support questions.

Demographic variables include age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, marital status, veteran status, educational attainment, occupation, and income. Data on employment and income refer to the preceding year, although other demographic data refer to the time at which the survey was administered.

This data collection is comprised of responses from the March and April installments of the 2008 Current Population Survey (CPS). Both the March and April surveys used two sets of questions, the basic CPS and a separate supplement for each month.

The CPS, administered monthly, is a labor force survey providing current estimates of the economic status and activities of the population of the United States. Specifically, the CPS provides estimates of total employment (both farm and nonfarm), nonfarm self-employed persons, domestics, and unpaid helpers in nonfarm family enterprises, wage and salaried employees, and estimates of total unemployment.

In addition to the basic CPS questions, respondents were asked questions from the March supplement, known as the Annual Social and Economic (ASEC) supplement. The ASEC provides supplemental data on work experience, income, noncash benefits, and migration. Comprehensive work experience information was given on the employment status, occupation, and industry of persons 15 years old and older. Additional data for persons 15 years old and older are available concerning weeks worked and hours per week worked, reason not working full time, total income and income components, and place of residence on March 1, 2007. The March supplement also contains data covering nine noncash income sources: food stamps, school lunch program, employer-provided group health insurance plan, employer-provided pension plan, personal health insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, CHAMPUS or military health care, and energy assistance. Questions covering training and assistance received under welfare reform programs, such as job readiness training, child care services, or job skill training were also asked in the March supplement.

The April supplement, sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services, queried respondents on the economic situation of persons and families for the previous year. Moreover, all household members 15 years of age and older that are a biological parent of children in the household that have an absent parent were asked detailed questions about child support and alimony. Information regarding child support was collected to determine the size and distribution of the population with children affected by divorce or separation, or other relationship status change. Moreover, the data were collected to better understand the characteristics of persons requiring child support, and to help develop and maintain programs designed to assist in obtaining child support. These data highlight alimony and child support arrangements made at the time of separation or divorce, amount of payments actually received, and value and type of any property settlement.

The April supplement data were matched to March supplement data for households that were in the sample in both March and April 2008. In March 2008, there were 4,522 household members eligible, of which 1,431 required imputation of child support data. When matching the March 2008 and April 2008 data sets, there were 170 eligible people on the March file that did not match to people on the April file. Child support data for these 170 people were imputed. The remaining 1,261 imputed cases were due to nonresponse to the child support questions.

Demographic variables include age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, marital status, veteran status, educational attainment, occupation, and income. Data on employment and income refer to the preceding year, although other demographic data refer to the time at which the survey was administered.