Help in calculating spell lengths

[David Rosenbluth]

I have an SPSS problem that I'm having difficulty solving.



I am trying to calculate the length of the initial spell that people are in a social service program. I have an array of variables month1 to month9. For each record, every month variable (m1 to m9) has a 0 (indicating no program participation) or a 1 (indicating participation).



e.g.

     m1       m2       m3      m4       m5       m6       m7       m8       m9

     .00      1.00     1.00     1.00     1.00      .00       .00      1.00      .00

     .00       .00      1.00     1.00      .00       .00      1.00      .00      1.00

    1.00     1.00     1.00     1.00     1.00     1.00     1.00     1.00     1.00

     .00       .00      1.00      .00      1.00      .00      1.00      .00      1.00



I would like to calculate the length of a person's first spell - that involves going through each array until you hit the first '1' and then calculating all the consecutive months where the value is '1'.



So in the data above, the first person would have an initial spell of 4 months; the 2nd person would have a spell of 2 months; the third person 9 months; and the 4th person 1 month.



I'm having difficulty figuring out how to do this. I can create a loop if everyone starts in month1, but I can't figure out the syntax when people have different starting months. Can anyone provide suggestions?



Thanks.

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[Jerabek Jindrich]

Hello David,

following syntax should do the job.

COMPUTE #found = 0.
VECTOR m = m1 to m9.
COMPUTE initial=0.
LOOP #i=1 to 9.
DO IF m(#i)=1.
COMPUTE #found=1.
COMPUTE initial = initial +1.
END IF.
END LOOP if #found and m(#i)=0.
END LOOP.
EXEC.

regards
Jindra

> ------------ Původní zpráva ------------
> Od: David Rosenbluth <[hidden email]>
> Předmět: Help in calculating spell lengths
> Datum: 17.4.2008 05:44:51
> ----------------------------------------
> I have an SPSS problem that I'm having difficulty solving.
>
>
>
> I am trying to calculate the length of the initial spell that people are in a
> social service program. I have an array of variables month1 to month9. For each
> record, every month variable (m1 to m9) has a 0 (indicating no program
> participation) or a 1 (indicating participation).
>
>
>
> e.g.
>
>      m1       m2       m3      m4       m5       m6       m7       m8       m9
>
>      .00      1.00     1.00     1.00     1.00      .00       .00      1.00
> .00
>
>      .00       .00      1.00     1.00      .00       .00      1.00      .00
> 1.00
>
>     1.00     1.00     1.00     1.00     1.00     1.00     1.00     1.00
> 1.00
>
>      .00       .00      1.00      .00      1.00      .00      1.00      .00
> 1.00
>
>
>
> I would like to calculate the length of a person's first spell - that involves
> going through each array until you hit the first '1' and then calculating all
> the consecutive months where the value is '1'.
>
>
>
> So in the data above, the first person would have an initial spell of 4 months;
> the 2nd person would have a spell of 2 months; the third person 9 months; and
> the 4th person 1 month.
>
>
>
> I'm having difficulty figuring out how to do this. I can create a loop if
> everyone starts in month1, but I can't figure out the syntax when people have
> different starting months. Can anyone provide suggestions?
>
>
>
> Thanks.
>
> =====================
> To manage your subscription to SPSSX-L, send a message to
> [hidden email] (not to SPSSX-L), with no body text except the
> command. To leave the list, send the command
> SIGNOFF SPSSX-L
> For a list of commands to manage subscriptions, send the command
> INFO REFCARD
>
>
>

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[Albert-Jan Roskam]

Hi David!

Does this do what you want?

* sample data.
data list free
  / m1 (f1) m2 (f1) m3 (f1) m4 (f1) m5 (f1) m6 (f1) m7
(f1) m8 (f1) m9 (f1).
begin data
0 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0
0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1
1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
end data.

* actual code.
compute spell = 0.
formats spell (f4.0).
vector v = m1 to m9.
loop #row = 1 to 9.
+ if (v(#row) = 1) spell = spell + 1.
end loop if (v(#row) = 0 and spell > 0).
list spell.

Cheers!!
Albert-Jan




--- David Rosenbluth <[hidden email]>
wrote:

> I have an SPSS problem that I'm having difficulty
> solving.
>
>
>
> I am trying to calculate the length of the initial
> spell that people are in a social service program. I
> have an array of variables month1 to month9. For
> each record, every month variable (m1 to m9) has a 0
> (indicating no program participation) or a 1
> (indicating participation).
>
>
>
> e.g.
>
>      m1       m2       m3      m4       m5       m6
>      m7       m8       m9
>
>      .00      1.00     1.00     1.00     1.00
> .00       .00      1.00      .00
>
>      .00       .00      1.00     1.00      .00
> .00      1.00      .00      1.00
>
>     1.00     1.00     1.00     1.00     1.00
> 1.00     1.00     1.00     1.00
>
>      .00       .00      1.00      .00      1.00
> .00      1.00      .00      1.00
>
>
>
> I would like to calculate the length of a person's
> first spell - that involves going through each array
> until you hit the first '1' and then calculating all
> the consecutive months where the value is '1'.
>
>
>
> So in the data above, the first person would have an
> initial spell of 4 months; the 2nd person would have
> a spell of 2 months; the third person 9 months; and
> the 4th person 1 month.
>
>
>
> I'm having difficulty figuring out how to do this. I
> can create a loop if everyone starts in month1, but
> I can't figure out the syntax when people have
> different starting months. Can anyone provide
> suggestions?
>
>
>
> Thanks.
>
> =====================
> To manage your subscription to SPSSX-L, send a
> message to
> [hidden email] (not to SPSSX-L), with no
> body text except the
> command. To leave the list, send the command
> SIGNOFF SPSSX-L
> For a list of commands to manage subscriptions, send
> the command
> INFO REFCARD
>

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[Spousta Jan]

Hi all,

Just a small correction to Jindra's solution: drop the END LOOP. line at the bottom of the syntax or you'll get errors.

For those who ask for an alternative DO REPEAT solution I have this one:

data list free /m1 to m9.
begin data.
0       1       1       1       1       0       0       1       0
0       0       1       1       0       0       1       0       1
1       1       1       1       1       1       1       1       1
0       0       1       0       1       0       1       0       1
end data.
form all (f1).

compute initial = 0.
compute #status = 1.
do repe x = m1 to m9.
- if (#status) initial = initial + x.
- if (x = 0 & initial > 0) #status = 0.
end repe.
exe.

Unfortunately a command END REPEAT IF ... is impossible; it would allow a very elegant solution.

Best regards

Jan

-----Original Message-----
From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Jerabek Jindrich
Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2008 9:34 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re:Help in calculating spell lengths

Hello David,

following syntax should do the job.

COMPUTE #found = 0.
VECTOR m = m1 to m9.
COMPUTE initial=0.
LOOP #i=1 to 9.
DO IF m(#i)=1.
COMPUTE #found=1.
COMPUTE initial = initial +1.
END IF.
END LOOP if #found and m(#i)=0.
END LOOP.
EXEC.

regards
Jindra

> ------------ Původní zpráva ------------
> Od: David Rosenbluth <[hidden email]>
> Předmět: Help in calculating spell lengths
> Datum: 17.4.2008 05:44:51
> ----------------------------------------
> I have an SPSS problem that I'm having difficulty solving.
>
>
>
> I am trying to calculate the length of the initial spell that people
> are in a social service program. I have an array of variables month1
> to month9. For each record, every month variable (m1 to m9) has a 0
> (indicating no program
> participation) or a 1 (indicating participation).
>
>
>
> e.g.
>
>      m1       m2       m3      m4       m5       m6       m7       m8       m9
>
>      .00      1.00     1.00     1.00     1.00      .00       .00      1.00
> .00
>
>      .00       .00      1.00     1.00      .00       .00      1.00      .00
> 1.00
>
>     1.00     1.00     1.00     1.00     1.00     1.00     1.00     1.00
> 1.00
>
>      .00       .00      1.00      .00      1.00      .00      1.00      .00
> 1.00
>
>
>
> I would like to calculate the length of a person's first spell - that
> involves going through each array until you hit the first '1' and then
> calculating all the consecutive months where the value is '1'.
>
>
>
> So in the data above, the first person would have an initial spell of
> 4 months; the 2nd person would have a spell of 2 months; the third
> person 9 months; and the 4th person 1 month.
>
>
>
> I'm having difficulty figuring out how to do this. I can create a loop
> if everyone starts in month1, but I can't figure out the syntax when
> people have different starting months. Can anyone provide suggestions?
>
>
>
> Thanks.
>
> =====================
> To manage your subscription to SPSSX-L, send a message to
> [hidden email] (not to SPSSX-L), with no body text except
> the command. To leave the list, send the command SIGNOFF SPSSX-L For a
> list of commands to manage subscriptions, send the command INFO
> REFCARD
>
>
>

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