Tsogolo La Thanzi (TLT): Seventh Wave, Malawi, 2011 [Healthy Futures]

Tsogolo la Thanzi (TLT) is a longitudinal study in Balaka, Malawi designed to examine how young people navigate reproduction in an AIDS epidemic. Tsogolo la Thanzi (TLT) means "Healthy Futures" in Chichewa, Malawi's most widely spoken language. The TLT research team is collecting new data to develop better understandings of the reproductive goals and behavior of young adults in Malawi -- the first cohort to never have experienced life without AIDS. To understand these patterns of family formation in a rapidly changing setting, TLT used a unique approach: an intensive longitudinal design where respondents are interviewed every fourth months at TLT's centralized research center. Data collection began in May of 2009 and was completed in June of 2012. To assess changes on a longer time-horizon, a follow-up survey we refer to as TLT-2 was fielded between June and August of 2016. This study contains data collected from the seventh wave of the multi-wave study. Each of waves 1-8 are comprised of three data files. The Women dataset (dataset 1) is a random sample of women aged 15-25 in 2009 (N=1,505 at wave 1), drawn from a census of the area. Likewise, the Random Men dataset (dataset 3) is a random-sample of men aged 15-25 in 2009 (N=574 at wave 1) drawn from a census of the area. The Male Partners dataset (dataset 2) contains survey data from sexual and romantic partners who were referred into the study by respondents in the women's file; this is a non-random sample of male partners, so analysts should be especially cautious with inferences. Topics covered across all waves include relationships, religion, HIV/AIDS, politics, family composition, mental health, sex and protection, pregnancy, marriage, sexually transmitted diseases, future expectations, school enrollment status, goods purchased/received, and diet. Modules specific to wave 7 include: best friend characteristics, literacy, treatment optimism, travel, and health services with an expanded education section (interrupted education). Additional demographic variables in each dataset include age and education.