- EpiData-list - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

Relate example in Epidata
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 22 Dec '08

22 Dec '08

Hi Epidata members, I am trying to figure out how the relate function works in Epidata. I am following the examples on the epidata website. I downloaded this zip file today: Relate example - Clinical Study with four forms Working example of the structure for a Clinical study with a start, then by relating on id entering data into basic person information, sideeffects, status information and pre-study level. This example is giving me all kinds of errors. First, I thought that it was because the Start.Rec and Clinical Study.rec are the same. I excluded all the files starting with start.*. This wasn't the case, I narrowed it down to the file controlvisit.rec. The error received is : The field id is KEY UNIQUE, but duplicate keys were found in records 1 and 2. A second error pops up directly after the first one: Access violation at address 004138D3 in module 'EpiData.exe' Read of address 00000000. I am looking forward to learn more on how to solve this issue. Happy Holidays! Renate Renate van Dorp, MSc, PhD Epidemiologist Perth District Health Unit 653 West Gore Street Stratford, ON N5A 1L4 Tel: 519-271-7600 ext 246 Fax: 519-271-2195 Email: rvandorp(a)pdhu.on.ca <mailto:rvandorp@pdhu.on.ca> This message is intended only for the named recipient and may contain information that is exempt from disclosure under privacy legislation in the Province of Ontario. If you received this in error, please contact the sender immediately by return electronic transmission and then immediately delete this transmission, including all attachments, without copying, distributing or disclosing same.

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Export of file from EpiData Entry to new rec file
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 20 Dec '08

20 Dec '08

Christine reported: > I am having a problem with the Export data command in Epidata. I had made a rec file for someone else and I wanted to show them how they could save the file to another directory after they had completed their data entry. I clicked on EXPORT Data/Back up but I got a message saying "invalid filename." No dialogue box came up at all just the message, so I had not selected a file to export. There was no problem I could see with this file. I had sucessfully created it and entered data into it. > I had no problem here exporting to the name you used with: EpiData Entry (version 3.1, build 060106)) on windows xp The error you are mentioning could indicate to me, that you are working with Windows Vista, since I have seen a number of very strange errors on this. Due to the fact that Vista is by default to dis-allow (reject) many logical choices by the users. The other possibility is that you have insufficient rights to export to the folder, where you try do so, and only the error message is insufficient. On one particular pc I had a problem, that suddenly the Vista system decided to delete the CHK file of a system. Most likely because the work I did coincided with an internal routine cleaning up files (not under user control) and the setup of that pc was to delete all files called CHK, which by windows is used also as the extension for files found by defragmentation. If this happens repeatedly we might have to change the extension of the chk file to something else, e.g. ckh - finally also it could be a bug in the EpiData Entry software. Please try to export on a different pc and see if you can replicate. is it a problem with the file name or with exporting as such to recfile. When reporting problems here it is good practice to tell which software version, build and operation system. regards Jens Lauritsen EpiData Association

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France
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 20 Dec '08

20 Dec '08

Dear Jens, "2008" is a good year for epidemiology and statistic... Thank you for your work and the new versions of EPIDATA Analysis 2.xx. The "lifetable" programs are very interesting for epidemiologists. I hope that 2009 year will a new good year for you and for us, happy users of this software. For your interest, I join a file with four variables and 239 lines. "Arret" is outcome variable (1=interest), and "durall" time variable in weeks. Plus two variables "plaisir" and "moment" in two categories (1 and 2). The result of lifetable command with "lifetable arret durall /by=plaisir /p50 /t" is curious (with version 159 and anterior) instead of "7" or "8" for the categorie "plaisir=2" (probability of 0.50). It's OK with variable "moment". Why the reason ? Sincerely Bernard Branger PS : The link for "Course materials in French" is the following : http://www.reseau-naissance.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=cat egory&sectionid=20&id=70&Itemid=148 -- J'utilise la version gratuite de SPAMfighter pour utilisateurs prives. Jusqu'a present SPAMfighter a bloque 298 courriels spam. Nous avons en ce moment 5.7 millions d'utilisateurs de par le monde entier. Les utlisateurs payants n'ont pas ce message. Vous pouvez telecharger la version gratuite: http://www.spamfighter.com/lfr

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Exporting
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 18 Dec '08

18 Dec '08

I am having a problem with the Export data command in Epidata. I had made a rec file for someone else and I wanted to show them how they could save the file to another directory after they had completed their data entry. I clicked on EXPORT Data/Back up but I got a message saying "invalid filename." No dialogue box came up at all just the message, so I had not selected a file to export. There was no problem I could see with this file. I had sucessfully created it and entered data into it. I had no trouble with exporting the file I had just created to Excel or dbf. In each case a dialogue box came up asking me what I wanted to call the new file and it sucessfully created a file in the new format. I could also select Epidata and save the full file under a new name. I tried loading another file and doing some data entry in it, so this different file was the last one used, and then tried to back up export. The same thing happened. I got the same 'invalid file name.' message and no dialogue box. I could however use the other commands in the export menu on this file. The name of the file I was trying to export was UHutt_Youth_Questionnaires_2008.rec but I got the error message before I had selected the file so I can't see how the name itself would be a problem. thanks Christine Christine Roseveare Analyst Regional Public Health 570 9194 027 495 9671 -- The information contained in this email and any attachments is confidential and may be legally privileged. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and remove all copies of the message, including any attachments. Any views or opinions expressed in this email (unless otherwise stated) may not represent those of Hutt Valley DHB. Thank you. ** Disclaimer added by HVDHB **

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EpiC Installation Instructions--Please review if this is correct?
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 06 Dec '08

06 Dec '08

Dear All I begun testing how I could automate some routines (data export mainly) using EpiC. I searched around on the website for instructions on how to install and use EpiC. I am not a programmer to start of with, but in the EpiC.PDF document it states the ff : "EpiC is a utility for some of the functions and tools in EpiData. EpiC can be run from a command prompt or from a command (or batch) file, making it possible to automate repetitive tasks". So I wondered how to invoke the command prompt in Windows?? (cmd in run). I finally managed to solve this like so: ****************** 11:41 AM 12/6/2008 EPiC installation: 1.Download the EpiC.ZIP file from Epidata.dk 2. Unzip to EpiC folder using unzip program (7-zip) 3. Open EpiC folder and find 2 files in it: EpiC.exe and EPiC.pdf 4. Copy EpiC.exe into the Windows system32 folder (you will need admin previlages for this): VISTA: C:\Windows\System32 XP: C:\Windows\System32 Now in the same folder as the .REC file was created/stored, create a new .TXT file (call it export_epic_commands.txt). In this file write the EpiC commands. E.g. to automate export to SAS (see other commands in EpiC.PDF file): epic e sas inputfile.rec outputfile * Once the commands are typed into the TXT file, save it, and then rename the extension to CMD, like so export_epic_commands.cmd. This is now executable by double-clicking it. Once executed 3 (you will see a black screen flash a couple of time--very fast!) additional files will be created in the same folder where the .REC file was: outputfile.sas and outputfile.txt and EpiC.log (this file has all the commands executed and error messages--be sure to check it; compare with codes provided in the EpiC.PDF file) ************************ Please let me know if I have overlooked anything or it is not necessary to copy paste EpiC.exe in the system folder (seems odd to be be doing this, as sometimes admin previlages are not availabe? Thanks, S Kauchali UKZN South Africa

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EpiData Analysis interactive selection
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 05 Dec '08

05 Dec '08

I have a field UNITNUM with values for treatment units. I write in an EpiData Analysis program: .... define u #### global set echo=on freq unitnum /vl set echo=off u=?Enter unit to analyze? select if unitnum=@u .... to prompt interactively which of the many units I wish to select for subsequent analysis. Any suggestion, how to modify the program to be able to either make the selection for a specific unit (as now) or alternatively not to make a selection to analyze the full set? Thanks for any suggestion, Hans -- Hans L Rieder, MD, MPH Jetzikofenstrasse 12 3038 Kirchlindach Switzerland Tel: +41 31 829 4577 Mob: +41 79 321 9122 Web: http://wwww.tbrieder.org

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EpiData Analysis interactive selection
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 04 Dec '08

04 Dec '08

I have a field UNITNUM with values for treatment. I write in an EpiData Analysis program: .... define u #### global set echo=on freq unitnum /vl set echo=off u=?Enter unit to analyze? select if unitnum=@u .... to prompt interactively which of the many units I wish to select for subsequent analysis. Any suggestion, how to modify the program to be able to either make the selection for a specific unit (as now) or alternatively not to make a selection to analyze the full set? Thanks for any suggestion, Hans -- Hans L Rieder, MD, MPH Jetzikofenstrasse 12 3038 Kirchlindach Switzerland Tel: +41 31 829 4577 Mob: +41 79 321 9122 Web: http://wwww.tbrieder.org

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Re: Dealing with 'Ongoing' duration in epicurves
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 02 Dec '08

02 Dec '08

"I would appreciate it if those working with outbreaks could reply about how they enter and display "ongoing" duration of illness." We create a graph showing at what time (date) the symptoms start and graph this according to exposure or time window. For epicurve the standard way of thinking is: ..............dayonset (start) ................................. ...... dayonset (start) ..................................... command could be: epicurve case dayonset In a different instance we would like to analyse "pattern of disease development" or pattern of how long time disease lasts begin ----------------------- end begin ----------------------------------------- (still under observation) The typical analysis here could be a Survival curve indicating length of disease period: Assume we have cases and string variables for start and end in the analysis. We would : read ourdata (or read from clipboard since these are copied from a spreadsheet). * generate two date variables for start and end of period: gen d stop = . if end <> "ongoing" then stop = date(end, "%dmy") gen d start = date(begin, "%dmy") * generate a case variable indicating if people were cured or are still under observation: gen i well = 0 if end <> "ongoing" then well = 1 * now we are ready for the analysis. notice the /mt which will assume that everyone with end time missing were observed until the latest of those where "stop" was "non-missing". lifetable well start stop /mt * an alternative would be to give the stop as a precise value: e.g. Dec 1st 2008 if end = "ongoing" then stop = dmy(1,12,2008) lifetable well start stop Notice that we did not change the "well" to 1 since keeping this with the value 0 indicates this observation was observed until given stop date, but did not develop disease. The lifetable would show median survival, possibly grouped or compared to a reference with the options "/by=sex /p25 ....." Regards Jens Lauritsen EpiData Association

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Dealing with 'Ongoing' duration in epicurves
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 02 Dec '08

02 Dec '08

I would appreciate it if those working with outbreaks could reply about how they enter and display "ongoing" duration of illness. I have been given an Excel sheet to analyse in Epidata. For this outbreak people were asked the date and time when they became unwell and the date and time when they felt better. There is a calculated field in the spreadsheet that calculates duration in days (date better - date unwell), but for some people this is empty because "ongoing" has been entered as text in the "date better" field. I want to modify the Excel sheet so I include those people with 'ongoing' illness in an epidemic curve. I thought I could enter a date sometime in the future instead of 'ongoing' This would mean the duration days would not be blank, but a number of days well beyond the maximum value for those whose illness is finished. What do others do? thanks Christine Christine Roseveare Analyst Regional Public Health 570 9194 027 495 9671 -- The information contained in this email and any attachments is confidential and may be legally privileged. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and remove all copies of the message, including any attachments. Any views or opinions expressed in this email (unless otherwise stated) may not represent those of Hutt Valley DHB. Thank you. ** Disclaimer added by HVDHB **

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Re: EpiData-list Digest, Vol 62, Issue 1
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 02 Dec '08

02 Dec '08

Hello!Can you attached the file for me to figure out the problem for you. Regards Mensah On Mon, Dec 1, 2008 at 6:04 PM, <epidata-list-request(a)lists.umanitoba.ca>wrote: > Send EpiData-list mailing list submissions to > epidata-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://lists.umanitoba.ca/mailman/listinfo/epidata-list > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > epidata-list-request(a)lists.umanitoba.ca > > You can reach the person managing the list at > epidata-list-owner(a)lists.umanitoba.ca > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of EpiData-list digest..." > > EpiData-list mailing list > ___________________________________ > Today's Topics: > > 1. Export to SPSS requires 2 stage procedure > (epidata-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca) > 2. Dealing with 'Ongoing' duration in epicurves > (epidata-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca) > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: epidata-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca > To: epidata-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca > Date: Sun, 30 Nov 2008 21:46:21 +0200 > Subject: [EpiData-list] Export to SPSS requires 2 stage procedure > Hello users and developers, > > I am using Epidata Entry 3.1 27 Jan 2008 on Windows XP Pro SP3. I have date > entered in .REC files. When I perform the export function using the drop > down menus, it does so fine, but the .SPS and .TXT files created are all > blank. If I try re-exporting (with Epidata Entry still open), and error > message pops up: "...data still in use..." or something like that. A > successful data export to SPSS is only possible if I complete quite Epidata > Entry and and start a new instance to perform the export procedure once > again. > > Could somone please verify this for me, and if so please explain what is > going on. It is quite frustrating that to have to do export in 2 stages. > > Thanks, > Shuaib > > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: epidata-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca > To: <epidata-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca> > Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:18:23 +1300 > Subject: [EpiData-list] Dealing with 'Ongoing' duration in epicurves > I would appreciate it if those working with outbreaks could reply about how > they enter and display "ongoing" duration of illness. I have been given an > Excel sheet to analyse in Epidata. For this outbreak people were asked the > date and time when they became unwell and the date and time when they felt > better. There is a calculated field in the spreadsheet that calculates > duration in days (date better - date unwell), but for some people this is > empty because "ongoing" has been entered as text in the "date better" field. > I want to modify the Excel sheet so I include those people with 'ongoing' > illness in an epidemic curve. > > I thought I could enter a date sometime in the future instead of 'ongoing' > This would mean the duration days would not be blank, but a number of days > well beyond the maximum value for those whose illness is finished. What do > others do? > > thanks > > Christine > > Christine Roseveare > Analyst > Regional Public Health > 570 9194 > 027 495 9671 > > > > > > > -- > The information contained in this email and > any attachments is confidential and may be > legally privileged. If you have received this > message in error, please notify the sender > immediately and remove all copies of the message, > including any attachments. Any views or > opinions expressed in this email (unless > otherwise stated) may not represent those of > Hutt Valley DHB. > Thank you. > ** Disclaimer added by HVDHB ** > > > > ________________________________________ > EpiData-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca > http://lists.umanitoba.ca/mailman/listinfo/epidata-list > > -- SEDZRO KOJO MENSAH P.O.Box AS 387 Ashaiman -Tema Ghana House : +233-22-300789 MOBILE : +233-244-458788 -------------------------------------------------- The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon, this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you received this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any computer.

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