Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health (MLSFH), 1998-2021 Version 2

The Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health (MLSFH) is one of very few long-standing longitudinal cohort studies in a poor Sub-Saharan African (SSA) context. It provides a record of more than 25 years of demographic, socioeconomic, and health conditions in one of the world's poorest countries. Initial data collection began in 1998 under the Malawi Diffusion and Ideational Change Project (MDICP) to examine social networks and fertility decisions among married women and their husbands. While this initial study population is still followed, the scope of the project and population expanded to a broader focus on social and contextual determinants of health across the lifecourse in Malawi. This collection includes Rounds 1 through 9 of the MLSFH, as well as supplemental data collections from Sexual Diaries, Migration Follow-Ups (MHM), a Biomarker Survey, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE), and a Benefits of Knowledge Intervention Survey. The MLSFH Data web page contains additional information and cohort profiles for all MLSFH data collections, including those not made available through ICPSR-DSDR. With several rounds of data collection from more than 8,000 individuals, the Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health has been used to investigate: the influence of social networks on HIV-related behaviors and perceptions, the HIV prevention strategies employed by individuals in rural high-HIV prevalence contexts, the relationship between life-course transitions and HIV infection risks, the acceptability of HIV testing and counseling (HTC) and the consequences of HTC on subsequent behaviors, the health and well-being across the life-course of individuals facing multiple challenges resulting from high disease burdens and widespread poverty, intergenerational relations and transfers, determinants of cognition and cognitive decline at older ages, the prevalence of hypertension and the consequences of screening for hypertension, adolescent HIV risk and adverse childhood environments, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and determinants of COVID-19 risks, the demography of mental health and the impact of life-course adversities on depression and anxiety, the long-term consequences of in-utero famine exposure on health at older ages, and the implications of mortality misperceptions and sexual behavior and life-course decisions-making. To work with the Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health (MLSFH) data, users are encouraged to begin with the Data Key files (Public-Use DS1, Restricted-Use DS2). The Data Key contains summary information about all MLSFH respondents who were ever contacted by the MLSFH, including basic socioeconomic and demographic information, survey outcomes at various rounds, and some key health information. All variables in the MLSFH Data Key have the prefix "DK", and all variables collected during the MLSFH rounds are prefixed by "M1" (for 1998 Round 1), "M9" (for 2017 Round 9), etc. Variables with the same name generally pertain to the same question over time, but verification based on the questionnaire is required as questions sometimes changed over time (either the question itself, or the coding of the responses). The variable RESPONDENTID identifies respondents across all datasets and can be used to merge additional MLSFH data to the Data Key or with each other. Each cohort of the Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health (MLSFH) incorporated unique sampling strategies. MLSFH cohort profiles, which include information on sampling, the refreshment and extension of the MLSFH sample overtime, the procedures for HIV testing and counseling, and other study procedures, can be found on the MLSFH website. The cohort profiles also provide comparisons of the MLSFH study populations with nationally representative datasets. Datasets: DS0: Study-Level Files DS1: MLSFH Public-Use Data Key DS2: MLSFH Restricted-Use Data Key DS3: MLSFH Round 1 (M1) Women's Survey Public-Use Data DS4: MLSFH Round 1 (M1) Women's Survey Restricted-Use Data DS5: MLSFH Round 1 (M1) Men's Survey Public-Use Data DS6: MLSFH Round 1 (M1) Men's Survey Restricted-Use Data DS7: MLSFH Round 2 (M2) Women's Survey Public-Use Data DS8: MLSFH Round 2 (M2) Women's Survey Restricted-Use Data DS9: MLSFH Round 2 (M2) Men's Survey Public-Use Data DS10: MLSFH Round 2 (M2) Men's Survey Restricted-Use Data DS11: MLSFH Round 3 (M3) Main Survey (Ever Married) Public-Use Data DS12: MLSFH Round 3 (M3) Main Survey (Ever Married) Restricted-Use Data DS13: MLSFH Round 3 (M3) Main Survey (Never Married) Public-Use Data DS14: MLSFH Round 3 (M3) Main Survey (Never Married) Restricted-Use Data DS15: MLSFH Round 3 (M3) Household Listing Public-Use Data DS16: MLSFH Round 3 (M3) Household Listing Restricted-Use Data DS17: MLSFH Round 3 (M3) Health and STI Survey Public-Use Data DS18: MLSFH Round 3 (M3) Health and STI Survey Restricted-Use Data DS19: MLSFH Round 4 (M4) Main Survey (Ever Married) Public-Use Data DS20: MLSFH Round 4 (M4) Main Survey (Ever Married) Restricted-Use Data DS21: MLSFH Round 4 (M4) Main Survey (Never Married) Public-Use Data DS22: MLSFH Round 4 (M4) Main Survey (Never Married) Restricted-Use Data DS23: MLSFH Round 4 (M4) Household Listing Public-Use Data DS24: MLSFH Round 4 (M4) Household Listing Restricted-Use Data DS25: MLSFH Round 4 (M4) Other Family Listing Public-Use Data DS26: MLSFH Round 4 (M4) Other Transfers Public-Use Data DS27: MLSFH Round 4 (M4) Other Transfers Restricted-Use Data DS28: MLSFH Round 4 (M4) Household and Family Mortality Public-Use Data DS29: MLSFH Round 4 (M4) Voluntary Testing and Counseling Survey Public-Use Data DS30: Sexual Diary (SD) Round 1 Restricted-Use Data DS31: Sexual Diary (SD) Round 2 Restricted-Use Data DS32: Sexual Diary (SD) Round 3 Restricted-Use Data DS33: Sexual Diary (SD) Round 4 Restricted-Use Data DS34: Migration Follow-Up 1 (MHM1) Main Survey Public-Use Data DS35: Migration Follow-Up 1 (MHM1) Main Survey Restricted-Use Data DS36: Migration Follow-Up 1 (MHM1) Household Listing Public-Use Data DS37: Migration Follow-Up 1 (MHM1) Household Listing Restricted-Use Data DS38: Migration Follow-Up 1 (MHM1) HIV Public-Use Data DS39: MLSFH Round 5 (M5) Main Survey Public-Use Data DS40: MLSFH Round 5 (M5) Household Listing Public-Use Data DS41: MLSFH Round 5 (M5) Household Listing Restricted-Use Data DS42: MLSFH Round 5 (M5) Other Family Listing Public-Use Data DS43: MLSFH Round 5 (M5) Children's Education Public-Use Data DS44: MLSFH Round 5 (M5) Children's Education Restricted-Use Data DS45: MLSFH Round 5 (M5) Economic Shocks Public-Use Data DS46: MLSFH Round 5 (M5) Potential and Actual Transfers Public-Use Data DS47: MLSFH Round 5 (M5) Potential and Actual Transfers Restricted-Use Data DS48: MLSFH Round 5 (M5) Safety Nets Public-Use Data DS49: MLSFH Round 5 (M5) Household and Family Mortality Public-Use Data DS50: MLSFH Round 5 (M5) Anthropometric Measurements Public-Use Data DS51: MLSFH Round 5 (M5) Anthropometric Measurements Restricted-Use Data DS52: MLSFH Round 5 (M5) Voluntary Testing and Counseling Survey Public-Use Data DS53: Biomarker Household Listing Public-Use Data DS54: Biomarker Household Listing Restricted-Use Data DS55: Biomarker Collection Survey Public-Use Data DS56: Biomarker Collection Survey Restricted-Use Data DS57: MLSFH Round 6 (M6) Main Survey Public-Use Data DS58: MLSFH Round 6 (M6) Household Listing Public-Use Data DS59: MLSFH Round 6 (M6) Household Listing Restricted-Use Data DS60: MLSFH Round 6 (M6) Other Family Listing Public-Use Data DS61: MLSFH Round 6 (M6) Children's Education Public-Use Data DS62: MLSFH Round 6 (M6) Economic Shocks Public-Use Data DS63: MLSFH Round 6 (M6) Potential and Actual Transfers Public-Use Data DS64: MLSFH Round 6 (M6) Potential and Actual Transfers Restricted-Use Data DS65: MLSFH Round 6 (M6) Household and Family Mortality Public-Use Data DS66: MLSFH Round 7 (M7) Main Survey Public-Use Data DS67: MLSFH Round 7 (M7) Main Survey Restricted-Use Data DS68: MLSFH Round 7 (M7) Household Listing Public-Use Data DS69: MLSFH Round 7 (M7) Household Listing Restricted-Use Data DS70: MLSFH Round 7 (M7) Voluntary Testing and Counseling Survey Public-Use Data DS71: Migration Follow-Up 2 (MHM2) Main Survey Public-Use Data DS72: Migration Follow-Up 2 (MHM2) Main Survey Restricted-Use Data DS73: Migration Follow-Up 2 (MHM2) Household Listing Public-Use Data DS74: Migration Follow-Up 2 (MHM2) Household Listing Restricted-Use Data DS75: Migration Follow-Up 2 (MHM2) HIV Public-Use Data DS76: MLSFH Round 8 (M8) Main Survey Public-Use Data DS77: MLSFH Round 8 (M8) Main Survey Restricted-Use Data DS78: Adverse Childhood Experiences Round 1 (ACE1) Restricted-Use Linking Data DS79: Adverse Childhood Experiences Round 1 (ACE1) Adolescent Survey Restricted-Use Data DS80: Adverse Childhood Experiences Round 1 (ACE1) Caregiver Survey Restricted-Use Data DS81: Adverse Childhood Experiences Round 1 (ACE1) Health and HTC Restricted-Use Data DS82: MLSFH Round 9 (M9) Main Survey Public-Use Data DS83: MLSFH Round 9 (M9) Main Survey Restricted-Use Data DS84: MLSFH Round 9 (M9) Household Listing Public-Use Data DS85: MLSFH Round 9 (M9) Household Listing Restricted-Use Data DS86: MLSFH Round 9 (M9) Anthropometric Measurements Public-Use Data DS87: MLSFH Round 9 (M9) Measured Health Indicators Public-Use Data DS88: MLSFH Round 9 (M9) Blood Glucose Collection Public-Use Data DS89: MLSFH Round 9 (M9) Health and HTC Public-Use Data DS90: Benefits of Knowledge Intervention (B9) Survey Public-Use Data DS91: Benefits of Knowledge Intervention (B9) Survey Restricted-Use Data DS92: Adverse Childhood Experiences Round 2 (ACE2) Adolescent Survey Restricted-Use Data DS93: Adverse Childhood Experiences Round 2 (ACE2) Birth and Infant Supplement Survey Restricted-Use Data Adults and children from Malawi. Smallest Geographic Unit: Village face-to-face interviewFor additional information and study documentation on the Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health (MLSFH), please visit the MLSFH website.The MLSFH data have been subject to very limited data cleaning or subsequent processing. Users are encouraged to thoroughly review the data with the corresponding documentation and the MLSFH website. Please contact the MLSFH study team (info@MLSFHresearch.org) if additional information is needed.The MLSFH study team requests that users acknowledge the study team by including the following additional citations. For the Cohort Profile data: Kohler, Hans-Peter et al. (2015). "Cohort Profile: The Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health (MLSFH)." (2014). Cohort Profile: The Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health (MLSFH). International Journal of Epidemiology. 44 (2): 394-404. doi:10.1093/ije/dyu049. For the Adolescent subset data: Kidman, Rachel, James Mwera, Yang Tingting Rui, Etienne Breton, Andrew Zulu, Jere Behrman, and Hans-Peter Kohler. 2024. "Cohort Profile: The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Cohort of the Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health (MLSFH)." BMJ Open 14: e079631. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2023-079631. For the Mature Adult subset data: Kohler, Iliana V., Chiwoza Bandawe, Alberto Ciancio, Fabrice Kämpfen, Collin Payne, James Mwera, James Mkandawire, and Hans-Peter Kohler. 2020. "Cohort Profile: The Mature Adults Cohort of the Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health (MLSFH-MAC)." BMJ Open 10: e038232. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2020-038232.