As the Appendix on SDQ in the 2001 and 2003-2004 Codebook of the NHIS public use files explains:

• emotional symptoms;

• conduct problems;

• hyperactive behavior;

• peer relationships;

• prosocial behavior.

The survey forms for 2001 and 2003-2004 also acknowledged the debt to Dr. Goodman, as follows:

This information was included for legal reasons and was not shared with survey respondents. More information on the SDQ is available at www.sdqinfo.org.

The other elements of this subscale on prosocial behavior are:

• Readily shares treats, toys, games, or CDs with other children, past 6 months (SHARES)

• Helpful if someone is hurt, upset, or feeling ill, past 6 months (HELPSHURT)

• Kind to younger children, past 6 months (KINDTOKIDS)

• Often offers help to others (parents, teachers, other children), past 6 months (HELPFUL)

Valid responses for these questions were "not true," "somewhat true," and "certainly true." A response of "not true" for these variables (code 0 in IPUMS NHIS) implies the lowest level of prosocial behavior; a response of "certainly true" for these variables (code 2 in IPUMS NHIS) implies the highest level of prosocial behavior; and a response of "somewhat true" on these variables (code 1 in IPUMS NHIS) implies an intermediate level of prosocial behavior. Researchers may choose to use a single variable from this set, but they can also sum the scores across the 5 variables. Summing these elements yields a total score for prosocial behavior ranging from 0 (the lowest level) to 10 (the highest level).

Summing the values for these variables yields valid totals only if the analyst excludes not in universe cases (persons other than sample children age 4-17, code 6 in IPUMS NHIS) and cases with missing information (codes 7, 8, and 9 in IPUMS NHIS).

The SDQ Scoring Guide provides guidelines for interpreting subscale scores (with Not in Universe and unknown cases excluded) for the SDQ-EX. For "Parent Completed" results (as in the NHIS), the guide suggests a three-band or four-band approach for interpreting the summed score for "Proscocial Behavior." Under the original three-band categorization, the summed Prosocial Behavior score can be identified as normal, borderline, or abnormal: a score of 6-10 is normal; a score of 5 is borderline; and a score of 0-4 is abnormal. Under the newer four-band categorization, the summed Prosocial Behavior score can be identified as close to average, slightly lowered, low, or very low: a score of 8-10 is close to average; a score of 7 is slightly lowered; a score of 6 is low; and a score of 0-5 is very low.

As the Appendices on SDQ in the Codebooks for 2001 and 2003-2004 explain,

Notably, in IPUMS NHIS, for the Prosocial Scale and its individual items, the highest values are most desirable, and the lowest values are the least desirable. In IPUMS NHIS, for the other SDQ-EX subscales and the "Total Difficulties Scale," the opposite is true.

The elements of the other 4 subscales (excluding the Prosocial Behavior scale) in the SDQ-EX are as follows:

• Often unhappy, depressed, or tearful, past 6 months (UNHAPPY)

• Complains of headaches/stomach-aches or sickness, past 6 months (STOMACHE)

• Often seems worried, past 6 months (WORRIED)

• Nervous or clingy in new situations, past 6 months (CLINGY)

• Many fears or easily scared, past 6 months (FEARFUL)

• Often loses temper, past 6 months (BADTEMPER)

• Generally well behaved, past 6 months (WELLBEHAVED)

• Often fights or bullies kids, past 6 months (BULLIES)

• Often lies or cheats, past 6 months (LIECHEAT)

• Steals from home, school, or elsewhere, past 6 months (STEALS)

• Restless or overactive, past 6 months (OVERACTIVE)

• Constantly fidgeting, past 6 months (FIDGETY)

• Easily distracted, past 6 months (DISTRACTED)

• Thinks before acting, past 6 months (THINKSFIRST)

• Good attention span and finishes tasks, past 6 months (GOODATTEN)

• Prefers to be alone, past 6 months (SOLITARY)

• Had at least 1 good friend, past 6 months (HASFRIEND)

• Liked by other kids, past 6 months (KIDSLIKE)

• Was picked on or bullied, past 6 months (PICKEDON)

• Gets along better with adults than kids, past 6 months (GETALONGAD)