Complicated coding - female/male friends - same sex or mixed-sex

[Rinko Kinoshita]

Dear members,
I am struggling with a complicated coding.

I have female_friends and male_friends. Each of the variable has 0 friends (0), 1-2 friends (1) 3-4 or more (2)- 3 categories. Then I have a variable "gender" (males = 0, females=1)

For a new variable, I would like to create 1= no friends or same-sex friends and 2= mixed sex friends (a female having both female and male friends, a male having both male and female friends).

The new variable can be called "peers_sex_composition"

If a female (or male) does not have any friends (female_friends = 0 & male_friends = 0) then the new variable should be coded as 1.
If a female has only female_friends = 1/2 BUT male_friends =0, then this also should be coded as 1.
If a female has mixed sex friends (both female and male friends) in other words, female_friends= 1/2 & male_friends =1/2 then new variable will be 2.

For the male, it would be the same (3 options) but both female and male should be combined into one single new variable "peers_sex_composition."

Please, could you help me with syntax?

Thanks
best, Rinko

[Andrew Musau]

I would advise against coding this new variable 1/2 as it is binary. It would appear that the gender variable is irrelevant here as your requirement is an individual (whether male or female) having friends of both sexes.

bysort pid: gen wanted= inlist(male_friends, 1, 2) & inlist(female_friends, 1, 2)

where pid is the individual identifier. This variable is coded 1 if an individual has friends of both sexes and zero otherwise. If this does not solve your problem, provide a data example using the dataex command (refer to FAQ Advice #12 for details).

[Rinko Kinoshita]

Andrew Musau Thanks for your help. I tried, it works but after this syntax, I don't know what to do in order to use this variable in multiple regression models. this is what I did and I didn't get error message, meaning it worked.
Thanks Rinko

bysort surid: gen wanted= inlist(male_friends, 1, 2) & inlist(female_friends, 1, 2)

[Rinko Kinoshita]

Andrew Musau Now I understood. the new variable "wanted" was created. thanks so much

. tab wanted

wanted Freq. Percent Cum.

0 197 34.62 34.62
1 372 65.38 100.00

Total 569 100.00


| IA2. Are you a ….?
wanted | Boy Girl | Total
-----------+----------------------+----------
0 | 67 130 | 197
| 28.88 38.58 | 34.62
-----------+----------------------+----------
1 | 165 207 | 372
| 71.12 61.42 | 65.38
-----------+----------------------+----------
Total | 232 337 | 569
| 100.00 100.00 | 100.00

[Andrew Musau]

Probably best to name it "both_friends" or something more informative.

[Rinko Kinoshita]

Genius! thanks so much.