The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 (NLSY79) (NIDA/VA IAA)

National Institute On Drug Abuse

Investigators

Abstract

The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 (NLSY79) is a nationally representative sample of men and women who were born in the years 1957 to 1964 and living in the United States when the survey began in 1979. The sample members were ages 14 to 22 during the first round of data collection. A primary focus of the NLSY79 is labor force behavior, but the content of the survey is considerably broader. The NLSY79 includes questions on educational attainment, training, income and assets, participation in government programs, health, workplace injuries, insurance coverage, alcohol and drug use, sexual activity, marital and fertility histories, and other topics. The NLSY79 was conducted annually from 1979 through 1994 and has been conducted biennially since 1994. The original sample included supplemental samples of blacks, Hispanics, economically disadvantaged non-black/non-Hispanics, and youths in the military. The military supplemental sample was discontinued after the 1984 survey, and the economically disadvantaged non-black/non-Hispanic supplemental sample was discontinued after the 1990 survey. The NLSY79 Child and Young Adult (CYA) surveys obtain a wealth of information on the children born to female NLSY79 respondents. The collection of data on these children began in 1986 with a battery of cognitive, social, emotional, and physiological assessments administered to NLSY79 children and their mothers. These biennial assessments are administered primarily in person. Beginning in 1988, children age 10 and older have answered a self-administered set of questions about family, friends, jobs, school, after-school activities, religious attendance, smoking, alcohol and drug use, and more. Starting in 1994, children who reach age 15 by December 31 of the survey year complete a questionnaire that is similar to the main NLSY79 and asks about work experiences, training, schooling, health, fertility, attitudes, and work expectations. This ?Young Adult? (YA) interview, which is conducted primarily by telephone, replaced the child assessments for older adolescents. Young adults report on sensitive topics such as parent-child conflict, participation in delinquent or criminal activities, use of controlled and uncontrolled substances, access to a computer and computer training, volunteer activities, and expectations for the future. The data collected about the children and young adults can be linked easily with information collected from their mothers in the main NLSY79. The main NLSY79 includes information on illicit drug use and a complete pregnancy record for women, including information about prenatal care, alcohol, tobacco, and drug use during pregnancy, and length and weight of child at birth. Substance abuse questions asked over the years include the respondent?s age at first use; extent of use of marijuana, amphetamines, barbiturates, cocaine, and heroin; use of these substances on the job; and the use of alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, and cocaine during pregnancy.