How to combine multiple variables to create a new single variable?

[Rou]

Bellow is what I used to create a new variable but I am getting an error when I run  my ttest:

data mergeddata;

     set mergedfinal-fmt;
var1 = 'promis_pa_scale1';
var2 = 'promis_pa_scale3';
var3 = 'promis_pa_scale4';
var4 = 'promis_pa_scale5';
length pascale $ 69;
pascale = catx(',', var1, var2, var3, var4);
put _all_;
run;

data mergeddata;

       set mergedfinal_fmt;
var1 = 'promis_pa_scale1_fu';
var2 = 'promis_pa_scale3_fu';
var3 = 'promis_pa_scale4_fu';
var4 = 'promis_pa_scale5_fu';
length pascale_fu $ 79;
pascale_fu = catx(',', var1, var2, var3, var4);
put _all_;
run;

proc ttest data= mergeddata;
paired pascale*pascale_fu;
run;

[Tom]

You need to show the log for the step with the error.

You cannot run a TTEST on a character variable.

[Rou · Accepted solution]

I figured out my mistake, here's what i did.

data finalaverage;
set mergedfinal;
intervention= (promis_pa_scale1 + promis_pa_scale3 + promis_pa_scale4 + promis_pa_scale5)/4;
comparison= (promis_pa_scale1_fu + promis_pa_scale3_fu + promis_pa_scale4_fu + promis_pa_scale5_fu)/4;
run;

data promispa;
set finalaverage;
diff= (intervention/comparison)+ 1;
run;

proc ttest data= promispa;
paired intervention*comparison;
run;

[mkeintz]

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@Rou wrote:

I figured out my mistake, here's what i did.

Great.  Mark your own response as the solution, so that other will see this listed as a solved topic.