I don't recall having learned this "directly", but experience seems to point that it does. I just wanted to clarification on it.
I have been using SAS to group a series of Y/N survey response variables into a single categorical variable for defining a respondent's insurance status.
I've been doing this for a single set of years (example: Set 1 = 2012 - 2014, Set 2 = 2015 - 2017). Each set has mostly the same variable names, except Set 1 has a few additional variables that Set 2 doesn't have, and one that is named differently.
So:
/* Set 1 */
If work in (1) or comp in (1) then insurance = 1; *work or partner's work;
If medic in (1) or gov in (1) then insurance = 2; *Medicaid or other government-funded;
if other in (1) then insurance = 3; *other;
if none in (1) then insurance = 4; *none;
/* Set 2 */
If work4 in (1) or hcech in (1) then insurance = 1; *work or healthcare exchange program;
If medic in (1) then insurance = 2; *Medicaid or other government-funded;
if other in (1) then insurance = 3; *other;
if none in (1) then insurance = 4; *none;
I ask because--when run the Set 1 and Set 2 datasets separately with their respective codes, I always get the same numbers for Set 2 regardless of running separately or combined with Set 1, but Set 1 is always different depending on how I run it. I just wanted to confirm that this "overwriting" is what was happening.
Please post your complete data step code, so we know how you read the datasets.
Data instatus;
Set ins.set1 ins.set2;
* Set 1 = 2012 - 2014;
* Set 2 = 2015 - 2017;
* YY_STAT = survey year; char var, YYYY format;
/* Status for Set 1 */
If work in (1) or comp in (1) then insurance = 1; *work or partner's work;
If medic in (1) or gov in (1) then insurance = 2; *Medicaid or other government-funded;
if other in (1) then insurance = 3; *other;
if none in (1) then insurance = 4; *none;
/* Set 2 */
If work4 in (1) or hcech in (1) then insurance = 1; *work or HSA program;
If medic in (1) then insurance = 2; *Medicaid or other government-funded;
if other in (1) then insurance = 3; *other;
if none in (1) then insurance = 4; *none;
Run;
The variable insurance exists only once in the PDV, so all those statements will have an effect on it.
If medic and other are both 1, then insurance = 3 will "overwrite" insurance = 2, simply because the test for other comes after the test for medic.
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