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History Variables

History variables contain data accumulated across successive waves. Some history variables contain background information that does not change and is only asked in the first interview (e.g. country of birth). Others contain accumulated statuses (e.g. number of qualifications; current marriage duration). The variables are provided in the responding person file each wave from wave 2 onwards, and show the status at the completion of that wave.

History variables first have data in the year the respondent entered the survey, and are updated the next time the respondent is interviewed. Someone who was a new entrant at say wave 2, did not respond in wave 3 and was interviewed again in wave 4, will not have history data for waves 1 and 3, even for invariant information such as Country of Birth. Those using unbalanced panels willl be particularly affected and may need to write a program to 'fill-in' the missing years.

History variables have the prefix ‘History:’ in the variable label. History variables are not annotated on the marked up questionnaires, but are included in the various coding frameworks. The table below provides a list of the history variables included on the datasets. Notes about the construction of the variables are included in the coding framework (and are not duplicated here).

Note that the job history variables (relating to the previous job for those that are employed or the last job for those that are not employed) that were first provided in Release 5 have been removed from the datasets as they require some more work.7

Table 14: History Variables
Variable Description
 
Ancestry
_ANCOB History: Country of Birth
_ANBCOB History: DV: Country of Birth – brief
_ANYOA History: Year first came to Australia to live
_ANENGF History: Is English the first language you learned to speak as a child
_ANATSI History: Aboriginal or torres strait islander origin
 
Family Background
_FMLWOP History: Were you living with both your own mother and father around the time you were 14 years old
_FMNPREA History: Why were you not living with both your parents at age 14
_FMPDIV History: Did your mother and father ever get divorced or separate
_FMPJOIN History: Did your mother and father ever get back together again
_FMAGEPS History: How old were you at the time your parents separated
_FMAGELH History: How old were you when you first moved out of home as a young person
_FMHSIB History: Ever had any siblings
_FMNSIB History: How many siblings
_FMELDST History: Were you the oldest child
_FMFCOB History: Fathers country of birth
_FMMCOB History: Mothers country of birth
_FMFEMP History: Was father in paid employment when you were 14
_FNFOCC1 History: Fathers occupation – 4 digit ASCO
_FMFOCC2 History: DV: Fathers occupation – 2 digit ASCO
_FMFI881 History: ISCO–88: fathers occupation
_FMFI82 History: ISCO–88 2-digit: fathers occupation
_FMFOCCS History: ANU4 occupational status scale: fathers occupation
_FMFUEMP History: Was father unemployed for six months
_FMMEMP History: Was mother in paid employment when you were 14
_FMMOCC1 History: Mothers occupation – 4 digit ASCO
_FMMOCC2 History: DV: Mothers occupation – 2 digit ASCO
_FMMI881 History: ISCO–88: mothers occupation
_FMMI82 History: ISCO–88 2–digit: mothers occupation
_FMMOCCS History: ANU4 occupational status scale: mothers occupation
 
Education
_EDAGELS History: Age left school
_EDHISTS History: Highest level of school completed
_EDTYPES History: Type of school attended/attending
_EDCLY History: country of last school year
_EDQENR History: Ever enrolled in a course of study to obtain a qualification
_EDCOQ History: Country completed highest qualification in
_EDQ100 History: ASCED 100 Postgraduate – Number of qualifications obtained since leaving school
_EDQ110 History: ASCED 110 Doctoral degree – Number of qualifications obtained since leaving school
_EDQ120 History: ASCED 120 Master degree – Number of qualifications obtained since leaving school
_EDQ200 History: ASCED 200 Grad Dip and Grad Cert – Number of qualifications obtained since leaving school
_EDQ221 History: ASCED 221 Graduate certificate – Number of qualifications obtained since leaving school
_EDQ211 History: ASCED 211 Graduate diploma – Number of qualifications obtained since leaving school
_EDQ310 History: ASCED 310 Bachelor degree – Number of qualifications obtained since leaving school
_EDQ311 History: ASCED 311 Bachelor (Honours) degree – Number of qualifications obtained since leaving school
_EDQ312 History: ASCED 312 Bachelor (Pass) degree – Number of qualifications obtained since leaving school
_EDQ400 History: ASCED 400 Advanced diploma and diploma – Number of qualifications obtained since leaving school
_EDQ413 History: ASCED 413 Associate degree – Number of qualifications obtained since leaving school
_EDQ421 History: ASCED 421 Diploma – Number of qualifications obtained since leaving school
_EDQ411 History: ASCED 411 Advanced diploma – Number of qualifications obtained since leaving school
_EDQ500 History: ASCED 500 Certificate – dont know level – Number of qualifications obtained since leaving school
_EDQ524 History: ASCED 524 Certificate level I – Number of qualifications obtained since leaving school
_EDQ521 History: ASCED 521 Certificate level II – Number of qualifications obtained since leaving school
_EDQ514 History: ASCED 514 Certificate level III – Number of qualifications obtained since leaving school
_EDQ511 History: ASCED 511 Certificate level IV – Number of qualifications obtained since leaving school
_EDQ650 History: ASCED 650 Secondary education – Number of qualifications obtained since leaving school
_EDQ611 History: ASCED 611 Year 12 – Number of qualifications obtained since leaving school
_EDQUNK History: Unknown – not enough information – Number of qualifications obtained since leaving school
_EDHIGH History: DV: Highest education level achieved
 
Marriage and Defacto Relationships
 
_MRN History: How many times have you been legally married
_MRPMTH History: Month – present or most recent marriage
_MRPYR History: Year – present or most recent marriage
_MR1YR History: Year – First marriage if married more than once
_MR2YR History: Year – Second marriage if married more than twice
_MR3YR History: Year – Third marriage if married more than 3 times
_MR4YR History: Year – Fourth marriage if married more than 4 times
_MRPLV History: Live together before marriage – Present or most recent marriage
_MR1LV History: Live together before marriage – First marriage if married more than once
_MR2LV History: Live together before marriage – Second marriage if married more than twice
_MR3LV History: Live together before marriage – Third marriage if married more than 3 times
_MR4LV History: Live together before marriage – Fourth marriage if married more than 4 times
_MRPEND History: How did the marriage end – present or most recent marriage
_MR1END History: How did the marriage end – First marriage if married more than once
_MR2END History: How did the marriage end – Second marriage if married more than twice
_MR3END History: How did the marriage end – Third marriage if married more than 3 times
_MR4END History: How did the marriage end – Fourth marriage if married more than 4 times
_MRPWIDW History: Year widowed – Present or most recent marriage
_MR1WIDW History: Year widowed – First marriage if married more than once
_MR2WIDW History: Year widowed – Second marriage if married more than twice
_MR3WIDW History: Year widowed – Third marriage if married more than 3 times
_MR4WIDW History: Year widowed – Fourth marriage if married more than 4 times
_MRPSEP History: Year separated – Present or most recent marriage
_MR1SEP History: Year separated – First marriage if married more than once
_MR2SEP History: Year separated – Second marriage if married more than twice
_MR3SEP History: Year separated – Third marriage if married more than 3 times
_MR4SEP History: Year separated – Fourth marriage if married more than 4 times
_MRPDIV History: Year divorced – Present or most recent marriage
_MR1DIV History: Year divorced – First marriage if married more than once
_MR2DIV History: Year divorced – Second marriage if married more than twice
_MR3DIV History: Year divorced – Third marriage if married more than 3 times
_MR4DIV History: Year divorced – Fourth marriage if married more than 4 times
_ORDFPST History: Ever lived with someone for at least one month without marrying
_ORDFN History: Number of times lived in a defacto relationship
_MRPLVT History: Years living together before present marriage
_MR1LVT History: Years living together before first marriage
_MR2LVT History: Years living together before second marriage
_MR3LVT History: Years living together before third marriage
_MR4LVT History: Years living together before fourth marriage
_ORCDUR History: Current defacto duration – years
_MRCDUR History: Current marriage duration – years
_MRWDUR History: Current widow duration – years
_MRSDUR History: Current separated or divorced from date of separation – years
 
Children
 
_TCHAD2 History: Total children ever had
_TCDIED2 History: Total children since died
 
Employment
 
_RTAGE History: Age retired/intends to retire
_EHTSE History: DV: Time since FT education (years)
_EHTJB History: Time in paid work – years
_EHTUJ History: Time unemployed and looking for work – years
_EHTO History: Time not working and not looking for work – years
 
Health3
 
_HESPNCY
 History: Year condition first developed – Sight problems
_HEHEARY History: Year condition first developed – Hearing problems
_HESPCHY History: Year condition first developed – Speech problems
_HEBFLCY History: Year condition first developed – Blackouts/fits/loss of consciousness
_HESLUY History: Year condition first developed – Difficulty learning
_HELUAFY History: Year condition first developed – Limited use of arms and fingers
_HEDGTY History: Year condition first developed – Difficulty gripping things
_HELUFLY History: Year condition first developed – Limited use of feet or legs
_HENECY History: Year condition first developed – Nervous/emotional condition requiring treatment
_HECRYPAY History: Year condition first developed – Condition restricting physical activity/work
_HEDISFY History: Year condition first developed – Any disfigurement or deformity
_HEMIRHY History: Year condition first developed – Any mental illness requiring help/supervision
_HESBDBY History: Year condition first developed – Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
_HECRPY History: Year condition first developed – Chronic or recurring pain
_HEHIBDY History: Year condition first developed – Long term effects from head injury/stroke/other brain damage
_HEMEDY History: Year condition first developed – Long term condition/ailment still restrictive despite current treatment or current medication taken
_HEOTHY History: Year condition first developed – Other long term condition (eg arthritis, asthma, heart disease, Alzeiheimers disease, dementia etc)
 
Housing
 
_HSYRCAD History: Years at current address
1 Variables are only on the In–Confindence Release (unconfidentialised) files. Back to where you were
2 For these variables, ‘children’ refers to the respondent’s natural and adopted children. Back to where you were
3 Waves 3 onwards. Back to where you were

 

Endnotes:

7 These variables were: _JHTSJHA, _JHWKU, _JHLHRU, _JHLHRUW, _JHLJIND, _JHLJTYP, _JHLJCNT, _JHLHTHA, _JHLJTWK, _JHLJTYR, _JHLJOCC, _JHLJREA, _JHLJOCS, _JHLJI88, _JHLJ182, _JHLJOC2, _JHLJII2. Back to where you were

 
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