National Health Interview Survey, 1990: Hearing Supplement

The basic purpose of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) is to obtain information about the amount and distribution of illness, its effects in terms of disability and chronic impairments, and the kinds of health services people receive. The purpose of this supplement was to obtain current data on one of the most prevalent chronic conditions in the United States: hearing impairment, including deafness. The file contains approximately 90 variables from the core file (see NATIONAL HEALTH INTERVIEW SURVEY, 1990 [ICPSR 9839]), including sex, age, race, marital status, veteran status, education, income, industry and occupation codes, and limits on activity. Variables unique to this supplement include range of age at onset of hearing problems, ringing noises heard, Gallaudet hearing scale scores, use of hearing aids, medical treatment, surgery, hospitalization, and medicine.