SED_ALL_LN is a 4-digit numeric variable reported in minutes. This variable is available as part of the Eating and Health Module.

Description

SED_ALL_LN reports the number of minutes during the associated activity that respondents reported engaging in secondary eating and/or drinking.

SED_ALL_LN is constructed from SED_EAT_LN and SED_DRINK_LN to make it easier for researchers to analyze secondary eating and drinking together. The module asked respondents whether they were eating or drinking while they were doing other activities and for how long, but did not collect data on when the eating or drinking began and ended or whether eating and drinking overlapped if they occurred during the same activity. We constructed this variable by applying the rules recommended by the Economic Research Service of the U.S.D.A., a sponsor of the Eating and Health module, for estimating total time on secondary eating and drinking.

The rules are as follows:

• Rule 1:If only secondary eating occurred during the activity, we return the time spent in secondary eating.

• Rule 2:If only secondary drinking occurred during the activity, we return the time spent in secondary drinking.

• Rule 3:If both secondary eating and drinking occurred during the activity and we assume full overlap of the secondary activities, we return the higher of the durations of secondary eating and drinking.

• Rule 4:If both secondary eating and drinking occurred during the activity and we assume no overlap of the secondary activities, we return the sum of the durations of secondary eating and drinking if the sum is not greater than the duration of the activity.

• Rule 5:If both secondary eating and drinking occurred during the activity and we assume no overlap of the secondary activities, we return the duration of the activity if the sum of secondary eating and drinking is greater than the duration of the activity.

If secondary eating and drinking both occurred during the activity, Rules 3-5 are applied and we return the average of Rules 3 and 4 or Rules 3 and 5, depending on whether the no overlap assumption yields a duration of secondary eating and drinking greater than the duration of the primary activity.

This variable is available via extracts that are hierarchical or rectangular (activity) (more info on extract formats). If you request a hierarchical extract and plan to construct time use variables in your statistics package, this variable may be useful to you. If you request a rectangular extract and plan to construct time use variables through the extract system, SED_ALL_LN will not be included in your extract, as persons are the unit of observation for rectangular extracts rather than activity or who records.

Comparability

This variable is only available as part of the Eating and Health Module.

Universe

Availability

• 2006-2008

Flags