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Data Dictionary: ACS 2006 (1-Year Estimates)
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Data Source:U.S. Census Bureau
Table: B99131. Imputation of Marital Status For Females 15 to 50 Years [3]
Universe: Universe: Women 15 to 50 years
Table Details
B99131. Imputation of Marital Status For Females 15 to 50 Years
Universe: Universe: Women 15 to 50 years
VariableLabel
B99131001
B99131002
B99131003
Relevant Documentation:
Excerpt from: Social Explorer; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey 2006 Summary File: Technical Documentation.
 
6.11.8. Content Editing
After data collection was completed, any remaining incomplete or inconsistent information was imputed during the final content edit of the collected data. Imputations, or computer assignments of acceptable codes in place of unacceptable entries or blanks, were needed most often when an entry for a given item was missing or when the information reported for a person or housing unit on that item was inconsistent with other information for that same person or housing unit. As in other surveys and previous censuses, the general procedure for changing unacceptable entries was to allocate an entry for a person or housing unit that was consistent with entries for persons or housing units with similar characteristics. Imputing acceptable values in place of blanks or unacceptable entries enhances the usefulness of the data.



Excerpt from: Social Explorer; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey 2006 Summary File: Technical Documentation.
 
Marital Status
The data on marital status were derived from answers to Question 4. The marital status classification refers to the status at the time of interview. Data on marital status are tabulated only for people 15 years old and over.
All people were asked whether they were "now married," "widowed," "divorced," "separated," or "never married." Couples who live together (unmarried people, people in common-law marriages) were allowed to report the marital status they considered the most appropriate. When marital status was not reported, it was imputed according to the relationship to the householder and sex and age of the person.
Differences in the number of currently married males and females occur because there is no step in the weighting process to equalize the weighted estimates of husbands and wives.
Never Married
Includes all people who have never been married, including people whose only marriage(s) was annulled.
Ever Married
Includes people ever married at the time of interview (including those now married, separated, widowed, or divorced).
Now Married, Except Separated
Includes people whose current marriage has not ended through widowhood, divorce, or separation (regardless of previous marital history). The category may also include couples who live together or people in common-law marriages if they consider this category the most appropriate. In certain tabulations, currently married people are further classified as "spouse present" or "spouse absent."

Separated
Includes people legally separated or otherwise absent from their spouse because of marital discord. Those without a final divorce decree are classified as separated. This category also includes people who have been deserted or who have parted because they no longer want to live together but who have not obtained a divorce.
Includes widows and widowers who have not remarried.
Divorced
Includes people who are legally divorced and who have not remarried. Those without a final divorce decree are classified as separated. In selected tabulations, data for married and separated people are reorganized and combined with information on the presence of the spouse in the same household.
Now Married
All people whose current marriage has not ended by widowhood or divorce. This category includes people defined above as "separated."
  • Spouse Present

Married people whose wife or husband was reported as a member of the same household or same group quarters facility, including those whose spouses may have been temporarily absent for such reasons as travel or hospitalization.
  • Spouse Absent

Married people whose wife or husband was not reported as a member of the same household or the same group quarters facility.
  • Separated

Defined above.
  • Spouse Absent, Other

Married people whose wife or husband was not reported as a member of the same household, excluding separated. Included is any person whose spouse was employed and living away from home or in an institution or serving away from home in the Armed Forces.
Differences between the number of currently married males and the number of currently married females occur because of reporting differences and because some husbands and wives have their usual residence in different areas. By definition, the numbers would be the same.
Median Age at First Marriage
The median age at first marriage is calculated indirectly by estimating the proportion of young people who will marry during their lifetime, calculating one-half of this proportion, and determining the age (at the time of the survey) of people at this half-way mark by osculatory interpolation. It does not represent the actual median age of the population who married during the calendar year. It is shown to the nearest tenth of a year. Henry S. Shryock and Jacob S. Siegel outline the osculatory procedure in Methods and Materials of Demography , First Edition (May 1973), Volume 1, pages 291-296.
Marital History
Beginning in 2006, people 15 years and over who were ever married (currently married, widowed, separated, or divorced) were asked if they had been married, widowed, or divorced in the past 12 months. They were asked how many times (once, two times, three or more times) they have been married, and the year of their last marriage.
Limitation of the Data
Beginning in 2006, the population in group quarters (GQ) is included in the ACS. Some types of GQ populations have marital status distributions that are very different from the household population. The inclusion of the GQ population could therefore have a noticeable impact on the marital status distribution. This is particularly true for areas with a substantial GQ population.
Question/Concept History
The word "current" was dropped from the 1996-1998 question. Since 1999, the question states, "What is this persons marital status?" The American Community Survey began providing the median age at first marriage with the 2004 data.
Excerpt from: Social Explorer; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey 2006 Summary File: Technical Documentation.
 
Sex
The data on sex were derived from answers to Question 1. Individuals were asked to mark either "male" or "female" to indicate their sex. For most cases in which sex was not reported, the appropriate entry was determined from the person's given (i.e., first) name and household relationship. Otherwise, sex was imputed according to the relationship to the householder and the age of the person.
Sex Ratio
The sex ratio represents the balance between the male and female populations. Ratios above 100 indicate a larger male population, and ratios below 100 indicate a larger female population. This measure is derived by dividing the total number of males by the total number of females and then multiplying by 100. It is rounded to the nearest tenth.
Limitation of the data
Beginning in 2006, the population in group quarters (GQ) is included in the ACS. Some types of GQ populations have sex distributions that are very different from the household population. The inclusion of the GQ population could therefore have a noticeable impact on the sex distribution. This is particularly true for areas with a substantial GQ population.
The Census Bureau tested the changes introduced to the 2006 version of the sex question in the 2006 ACS Grid-Sequential Test (http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Downloads/ACS-MP-09_Grid-Sequential_Test_Final_Report.pdf). The results of this testing show that the changes may introduce an inconsistency in the data produced for this question as observed from the years 2006 to 2006.
Question/Concept History
The sex question has remained the same.
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