createCombinedVar {exceldata}

Create a combined variable from several dichotomous variables

Description

This function will create a single variable from a set of dichotomous variables, usually checkbox items from a survey. The combined variable may be if there are a small number of popular response patterns. Currently this function only works with dichotomous variables.

Usage

createCombinedVar(data, dictionary, newVarName, varsToCombine, responseVal)

Arguments

data

is data returned by the importExcelData or readExcelData functions

dictionary

is the data dictionary returned by importExcelData or readDataDict functions

newVarName

the name of the new variable.

varsToCombine

a vector of the first and last variables to combine into the new variable. Note that the variables to be conbined mut be contiguous in the data.

responseVal

the value of the variables to be combined, usually this will be 1 for 0,1 variables or Yes for Yes No or Checked for Checked Unchecked

Details

The instructions are contained in the Levels column of the data dictionary and should be in the format: original_varname,newCode1=oldcode1,oldCode2,...,newCode2=oldCode3,..

For Example: instructions="T_Stage,T0=T0,T1up=T1,T2,T3,T4"

will recode T1-T4 as T1up and retain T0 as is