Re: st: how does one automatically calculate the age in years by subtracting the system date from the date of birth?

[Gwinyai Masukume <parturitions@gmail.com>]

Many thanks Rebecca for the very helpful and clear step by step explanation.

Removing the following from your example seems to generate the same results?
local sd = date("`c(current_date)'","DMY")
set seed `sd'
Would the above coding mean the seed would change daily?

Would anyone know if there’s a difference between %d and %td?

/*** full example modified ***/
 version 12
 clear
 set obs 5
* local sd = date("`c(current_date)'","DMY")
* set seed `sd'

scalar start = mdy(1,1,1964)
 scalar end = mdy(12,31,1999)
 gen date_of_birth = int(start+(end-start)*runiform())

gen today_date=date("`c(current_date)'","DMY")

gen age = round((today_date - date_of_birth)/365.25,0.1)
 gen age2 = int((today_date - date_of_birth)/365.25)

format date_of_birth today_date %td
 list, noobs
 /*** end ***/

Thanks again.

Regards
G

On 3/10/13, Rebecca Pope <rebecca.a.pope@gmail.com> wrote:
> A correction first.
>
> gen month_dob=int(1+(13-1)*runiform())
> gen day_dob=int(1+(32-1)*runiform())
> gen year_dob=int(1964+(1999-1964)*runiform())
> gen date_of_birth=mdy(month_dob, day_dob, year_dob)
>
> has the potential to produce an error, albeit with a small
> probability. Since you are drawing months and days separately, you can
> draw nonsensical combinations like 2/30. A better method is to draw
> randomly over the range of dates that you want.
>
> scalar start = mdy(1,1,1964)
> scalar end = mdy(12,31,1999)
> gen date_of_birth = int(start+(end-start)*runiform())
> * the two -scalar- assignments can be skipped & placed directly in
> date_of_birth, but I find this clearer (i.e. just style)
>
> You also say:
>> I’m encountering some problems subtracting these two
>> dates. Could this be due to date formats i.e. month day year (MDY)
>> versus day month year (DMY). Or it could be due to one date being an
>> integer and the other a string? Or it's something else?
>
> To refer to the _content_ of c(current_date), you must treat it as a
> macro: `c(current_date)'. Then use it in the -date()- function to
> convert to a date value, because yes, you must have two numeric values
> in order to subtract.
>
> gen today_date=date("`c(current_date)'","DMY")
>
> Finally:
>> Theoretically subtracting the today_date from date_of_birth should
>> give the age,
>
> Not so. You should subtract date_of_birth from today_date. This gives
> you the difference in days from which you can calculate age in
> (fractional) years. If you don't want to change age until the person
> has had a birthday, then use the -int()- function.
>
> gen age = round((today_date - date_of_birth)/365.25,0.1)
> gen age2 = int((today_date - date_of_birth)/365.25)
>
> /*** full example ***/
> version 12
> clear
> set obs 5
> local sd = date("`c(current_date)'","DMY")
> set seed `sd'
>
> scalar start = mdy(1,1,1964)
> scalar end = mdy(12,31,1999)
> gen date_of_birth = int(start+(end-start)*runiform())
>
> gen today_date=date("`c(current_date)'","DMY")
>
> gen age = round((today_date - date_of_birth)/365.25,0.1)
> gen age2 = int((today_date - date_of_birth)/365.25)
>
> format date_of_birth today_date %td
> list, noobs
> /*** end ***/
>
> Output:
> date_of~h today_d~e age age2
> -------------------------------------
> 08sep1983 10mar2013 29.5 29
> 15jul1965 10mar2013 47.7 47
> 11dec1970 10mar2013 42.2 42
> 09jan1978 10mar2013 35.2 35
> 15oct1987 10mar2013 25.4 25
>
> Regards,
> Rebecca
>
> *
> *   For searches and help try:
> *   http://www.stata.com/help.cgi?search
> *   http://www.stata.com/support/faqs/resources/statalist-faq/
> *   http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/
>

*
*   For searches and help try:
*   http://www.stata.com/help.cgi?search
*   http://www.stata.com/support/faqs/resources/statalist-faq/
*   http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/