Living In Wales - Frequently Asked Questions
Questions:
Which years of the LIW survey are available?
The Living in Wales Survey was collected annually and datasets are available from 2004 to 2008. Combined datasets that include data from three consecutive years of survey data are also available. The LIW survey replaced the former Welsh House Condition Survey (WHCS) which was last carried out in 1997 and 1998. The
National Survey for Wales has now replaced the LIW.
What format is the data available in?
The LIW survey is available in SPSS, STATA and ASCII format
Where can I obtain statistics and tables from the LIW survey?
Statistics and tables from the LIW survey are regularly published by the Welsh Assembly Government. These can be downloaded from the Living in Wales survey results web page.
Does the LIW survey include information at the person level?
LIW survey data is at the level of the individual but can also be analysed at household/family level.
What data files are available on downloading the LIW survey?
The LIW survey deposited data includes 4 datasets with the prefixes that describe the level at which the data is available, the prefixes are; ‘address’, ‘household’, ‘person’ and ‘hrpspouse’. The differences between the person and hrpspouse files is that the person file includes information on all people in a household whilst the hrpspouse file only contains data on the household reference person and their spouse.
What is the most detailed geography I can analyse the data at?
LIW survey data is available for Unitary Authorities; Police Regions; Fire Brigade Regions; Welsh Assembly Parliamentary Constituencies. The geographical information is held in the ‘address file’. In order to add this geographical information to the ‘household’, ‘person’ and the ‘hrp spouse’ files you will need to match the address file to the other files. The matching variable is ‘addno’.
Before I order, how do I find out what questions/variables are included?
Variable lists and PDF user guides (including questionnaires) are freely available from the web page for each year of the LIW.
Are the same questions asked each year?
The LIW survey includes many of the same questions each year and this enables survey data to be combined and deposited for 3 year intervals as well as for single years. Some modules are only included periodically, for example, the property survey element of the LIW survey was only carried out in 2004 and 2008.
Does analysis of the LIW survey require the use of weights?
The analysis of the LIW survey requires the use of weights which serve to gross estimates up to observed counts of population/households/addresses and account for disproportionate sampling. There are 3 weights ‘a16’ (grossing factor for addresses), ‘a17’ (grossing weight for households), ‘a17’ (grossing factor for individuals).
What population is covered by the LIW survey?
The LIW survey covers the private household population in Wales. The survey involves an interview in with the household reference person (or another adult) who also provides information on other members of the household.
Is there a more general FAQ?
There is a generic FAQ for all surveys available.
