How to Combine Several Categorical Variables into One in SPSS

[aramide]

Hello All,

I am completely new to spss, and am trying to use spss to generate a variable on the quality of health service available to the residents of an area. Below are the categorical variables that could tell me the quality of health available to them. Included is also the percentage of respondents who affirmed statement as true



no insurance covering health care cost=77%
no access to ambulance service=79%                
poor attention by medical personnel=15%
poor medical equipment=25%        
poor drug provision=30%
time taken from dwelling to health centre more than 30mins=15%                                
poor waiting time at health facility=55%


 How can I generate the percentage value on the quality of health of this population from the percentage values of these variables, bearing in mind that several respondents may affirm each variable as true

Thank you for your answers, expecting them from soon        
         

[Bruce Weaver]

I'm not exactly sure what you want to do--the subject line suggests combining several variables into a single variable, but the body of the post suggests something a bit different.  How to combine several variables into a single variable is a FAQ.  See this old thread, for example:

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/comp.soft-sys.stat.spss/VaPvJHdZ5-0

HTH.

aramide wrote

Hello All,

I am completely new to spss, and am trying to use spss to generate a variable on the quality of health service available to the residents of an area. Below are the categorical variables that could tell me the quality of health available to them. Included is also the percentage of respondents who affirmed statement as true



no insurance covering health care cost=77%
no access to ambulance service=79%                
poor attention by medical personnel=15%
poor medical equipment=25%        
poor drug provision=30%
time taken from dwelling to health centre more than 30mins=15%                                
poor waiting time at health facility=55%


 How can I generate the percentage value on the quality of health of this population from the percentage values of these variables, bearing in mind that several respondents may affirm each variable as true

Thank you for your answers, expecting them from soon

[aramide]

Thanks Bruce.

I was actually at a loss on how to frame my question.

I want to know if it is possible to generate a new variable which tells me the quality of health service available from these other variables and attached values using spss. Like I said this is my first time using the software. If it is possible, what is the first step. Am sure I can gradually work my way through this if only I know where to start from.

Thanks you so much for your reply

[David Marso]

What would you do if you didn't have SPSS?
No one here can or should tell you HOW to define your measurement construct.
If you can define what this variable's properties should be, someone might tell you how to achieve it in SPSS.

aramide wrote

Thanks Bruce.

I was actually at a loss on how to frame my question.

I want to know if it is possible to generate a new variable which tells me the quality of health service available from these other variables and attached values using spss. Like I said this is my first time using the software. If it is possible, what is the first step. Am sure I can gradually work my way through this if only I know where to start from.

Thanks you so much for your reply

[David Marso]

In particular, I have no idea what this means: Provide some definition of what YOU mean by this.

"How can I generate the percentage value on the quality of health of this population from the percentage values of these variables, bearing in mind that several respondents may affirm each variable as true "

David Marso wrote

What would you do if you didn't have SPSS?
No one here can or should tell you HOW to define your measurement construct.
If you can define what this variable's properties should be, someone might tell you how to achieve it in SPSS.

aramide wrote

Thanks Bruce.

I was actually at a loss on how to frame my question.

I want to know if it is possible to generate a new variable which tells me the quality of health service available from these other variables and attached values using spss. Like I said this is my first time using the software. If it is possible, what is the first step. Am sure I can gradually work my way through this if only I know where to start from.

Thanks you so much for your reply

[aramide]

Thanks David,

I did some reading after your reply. What I need is to merge responses to questions which together can give the information I need. In this case, I want to know how poor the quality of health care service in an area is. I have responses on whether respondents in the area have

1. insurance covering health care cost
2. access to ambulance service
3. get poor attention from medical personnel
4. if medical equipment is poor
5. if drug provision is poor
6. if time taken from dwelling to health centre more than 30mins
7. if waiting time at health facility is poor

Responses are yes or no

How do I merge them to get the information I need.

[Maguin, Eugene]

I haven't been paying attention to this thread so maybe you've heard this already but you've got 7 items, each to be answered yes or no. I assume yes=1 and no=0 (and if not, make it so), then compute a new variable that is the mean of those 7 items. As in:
Compute yeses=mean.1(q1 to q7).
And if you don't know what 'mean.1' means, you'll look it up in the F(ine) (syntax reference) M(annual) or in the help menu.
After you do this, does the result give you what you want?
Gene Maguin

-----Original Message-----
From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of aramide
Sent: Monday, March 24, 2014 2:48 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: How to Combine Several Categorical Variables into One in SPSS

Thanks David,

I did some reading after your reply. What I need is to merge responses to questions which together can give the information I need. In this case, I want to know how poor the quality of health care service in an area is. I have responses on whether respondents in the area have

1. insurance covering health care cost
2. access to ambulance service
3. get poor attention from medical personnel 4. if medical equipment is poor 5. if drug provision is poor 6. if time taken from dwelling to health centre more than 30mins 7. if waiting time at health facility is poor

Responses are yes or no

How do I merge them to get the information I need.





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