Frequently Asked Questions

SLAITS Data Users

• Where can I get SLAITS questionnaires?
• Where can I get SLAITS data?
• Where can I get more information about the design of SLAITS surveys?
• How does SLAITS adjust the data to account for noncoverage of households without telephone service?
• How do I stay updated about new surveys, data releases, and other SLAITS activities?
• How are my answers used?

Where can I get SLAITS questionnaires?
SLAITS questionnaires are customized for each survey sponsor. From the SLAITS home page, choose Survey Modules from the left navigation. Click on the survey module you are interested in. Under "view/download" files, click on the survey instrument hotlink for a PDF version.

Where can I get the SLAITS data?
Public-use microdata files in SAS format are created for each survey module and are available by request on CD-ROM or for immediate download from this web site. From the SLAITS home page, choose 'Survey Modules' from the left navigation. Click on the survey module you are interested in, and then click on the hotlink to the dataset. This hotlink will direct you to the file directory containing all public release SLAITS datafiles for that module. Links are also available for basic frequency counts of the data sets and SAS input statements for variable value labels. SLAITS data are not currently available in ASCII, SPSS, or any other formats.

Where can I get more information about the design of SLAITS surveys?
Survey design, sampling specifications, and estimation procedures are customized for each survey sponsor. While data collection is ongoing, brief overviews and flowcharts of the survey design are available. Detailed methodology reports are available for data sets that have been publicly released. If you still need additional information, please contact us at SLAITS.

How does SLAITS adjust the data to account for noncoverage of households without telephone service?
Survey weighting and estimation procedures are customized for each survey sponsor, and are detailed in the survey-specific methods reports. In general, SLAITS uses information collected on interruptions in telephone service to adjust for bias that may result from noncoverage of households without telephone service. Background information for these procedures is available from the following references:

Keeter S. Estimating telephone
noncoverage bias with a telephone survey.
Public Opinion Quarterly, 59, 196-217. 1995.

Brick JM, Waksberg J, Keeter S.
Using data on interruptions in
telephone service as coverage adjustments.
Survey Methodology, 22, 185-97. 1996

Frankel MR, Ezzati-Rice T, Wright
RA, Srinath KP. Use of data on interruptions in telephone
service for noncoverage adjustment. Paper
presented at the Joint Statistical Meetings
of the American Statistical Association,
Dallas, TX. 1998.

How do I stay updated about new surveys, data releases, and other SLAITS activities?
There are two ways to stay informed:

1. Visit our web site on a regular basis.
2. Join the SLAITS listserv. To join the listserv, go to the SLAITS home page and choose Listserv from the left navigation. Follow the instructions. You will then be part of a mass mailing list for updates regarding SLAITS. Updates will be sent to this list a few times a year. Individuals may not post messages to this list.

How are my answers used?
The answers you and other families provide is combined to produce reports. These reports are used by health professionals, government agencies, and others to help create programs to improve the health of the Nation. One example of a report can be found at The National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs Chartbook, 2001