The creation of time use variables is the central purpose of the ATUS Extract Builder. In a nutshell, ATUS-X users create time use variables that sum the amount of time respondents spend doing user-specified activities. But, a time use variable may be more than, for example, a measure of time spent playing baseball. The ATUS data also allow users to specify, in addition to activities, what we call filters. The filters available at this time include locations, times of day, and the presence of a child under 13 in the respondent's care during the activity. The four pieces that may be combined to create a time use variable are discussed in further detail below.
All of the activities respondents report doing over a 24-hour period from 4:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. on an assigned diary day are recorded as part of the American Time Use Survey. Activities are coded using a six-digit scheme in which the first two digits represent the broadest level of detail, the second set of two-digit codes represents an intermediate level, and the final two-digits represent the detailed code within the two broader categories. These distinctions are represented hierarchically in the activity coding tree. In the ATUS Extract Builder, users select activities from an activity coding tree that looks almost identical to the one shown here.
Users concerned with comparability over time may want to refer to this table, which shows the activity categories that change over time. The majority of code changes occur between 2003 and 2004. Users building time use variables and selecting from the most detailed codes may want to consider combining categories as suggested to avoid comparability issues. Comparability is only an issue at the most detailed level of the activity coding structure.
Filters are essentially restrictions that users may request when defining their time use variables. For example, a user might be interested in Research or Homework (activity code 060300) done at the respondent's home (location filter) between the hours of 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. (time of day filter). In this case, activities are selected, and location and time filters are applied. To take another example, users might want to differentiate between time spent doing homework at home in the evening while engaging in secondary child care or not engaging in secondary child care.
ATUS respondents report where the activities they engage in during their diary days occur. Exceptions are Sleeping (0101xx), Grooming (0102xx), Personal activities (0104xx), "respondent refused to answer" (500105), and "respondent didn't remember" (500106). In these cases, the location is recorded as blank.
The locations where activities occur are grouped into two braod categories: places and modes of transportation, as well as a residual "missing" category. In October of 2004, three locations were added: bank, gym/health club, and post office. The list of possible locations to use as filters is as follows:
| Place | Mode of Transportation |
|---|---|
| Respondent's home or yard | Car, truck, or motorcycle (driver) |
| Respondent's workplace | Car, truck, or motorcycle (passenger) |
| Someone else's home | Walking |
| Restaurant or bar | Bus |
| Place of worship | Subway/train |
| Grocery store | Bicycle |
| Other store/mall | Boat/ferry |
| School | Taxi/limousine service |
| Outdoors away from home | Airplane |
| Library | Other mode of transportation |
| Bank | Unspecified mode of transportation |
| Gym/health club | |
| Post office | Missing |
| Other place | Don't know |
| Unspecified place | Blank |
ATUS respondents report when they began and ended each activity they engage in over the 24-hour diary day.
After reporting the main activities they did over the 24-hour diary day, ATUS respondents indicate whether they were also caring for a child under 13 at the same time as they were doing each main activity. Information on secondary child care is available for both household and non-household children. The time individuals spend doing secondary care of household children is restricted to time between when the first household child under 13 woke up and the last household child under 13 went to bed.
The availability of secondary child care information changes between 2003 and 2004. The information on secondary child care is more limited for 2003 than for 2004-2006. The most detailed level of secondary child care options is not available in 2003. Users who want to use secondary child care filters should be aware of this limitation when considering comparability of estimates over time.
User note: Application of secondary child care filters during the time use variable creation process assumes "any" rather than "only" in the inclusion process. For example, users who select "Time spent during activity on secondary child care of household and own, non-household children" will be given a time use variable that includes all time spent in the care of household and own, non-household children even if the respondent was also caring for non-own, non-household children.