topic Re: Creating a new Race variable in New SAS User

Creating a new Race variable

sackey — Wed, 01 May 2019 17:20:59 GMT

Hello,

I am inexperienced in SAS and need some help.

I am analyzing some student survey data which had a ‘race’ variable where respondents had the option to select more than one race category. Because of that I have 6 separate race variables.

Variable name	Label
Q3_1	American Indian or Alaska Native
Q3_2	Asian
Q3_3	White
Q3_4	Black or African American
Q3_5	Hispanic or Latino
Q3_6	Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

I am trying to create one Race variable for analysis and want to add a category of ‘multiracial’ for any person who selects more than one Race. I will want SAS to drop the race categories (Q3_1-Q3_6) for a person who is ‘multiracial’ so that I don’t have multiple lines of data per person however I am unable to do that (highlighted section) and will appreciate any help.

data five;
set four;
length race $ 16;
keep id race;
if Q3_1 then do;
	race='American Indian or Alaska Native';
	output;
	end;
if Q3_2 then do;
	race='Asian';
	output;
	end;
if Q3_3 then do;
	race='White';
	output;
	end;
if Q3_4 then do;
	race='Black or African American';
	output;
	end;
if Q3_5 then do;
	race='Hispanic or latino';
	output;
	end;
if Q3_6 then do;
	race='Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander';
	output;
	end;

if q3_3 and q3_5 then do;
	race='multiracial';
	drop q3_3 q3_5;
	output;
	end; 
run;

data six;
merge four five;
by id;
run;

Re: Creating a new Race variable

Kurt_Bremser — Wed, 01 May 2019 17:36:25 GMT

You cannot selectively drop variables. Both variables will be dropped from dataset five.

By merging back with the original dataset four, you will get them back anyway.

How many observations per id do you expect in the final dataset?

Re: Creating a new Race variable

Tom — Wed, 01 May 2019 17:40:43 GMT

How are the current variables coded?

Do they have value of 1 if selected and 0 if not?

length race $40;
if sum(of Q3_1 - Q3_6) > 1 then race='Multiracial';
else if Q3_1 then race='American Indian or Alaska Native';
else if Q3_2 then race='Asian';
else if Q3_3 then race='White';
else if Q3_4 then race='Black or African American';
else if Q3_5 then race='Hispanic or latino';
else if Q3_6 then race='Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander';
else race='No response';

Re: Creating a new Race variable

sackey — Wed, 01 May 2019 17:38:48 GMT

Thank you Kurt for your response.

I am expecting 1 race observation per id din the final dataset.

Sackey

Re: Creating a new Race variable

sackey — Wed, 01 May 2019 17:43:52 GMT

Hello Tom,

Thank you so much for your solution.

Sackey