National Health Interview Survey, 2002

The 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. Implementation of a
redesigned NHIS, consisting of a basic module, a periodic module, and
a topical module, began in 1997 (See NATIONAL HEALTH INTERVIEW SURVEY,
1997 [ICPSR 2954]). The 2002 NHIS contains the Household, Family,
Person, Sample Adult, Sample Child, Child Immunization, and Injury and
Poison Episode data files from the basic module. Each record in the
Household-Level File (Part 1) contains data on type of living
quarters, number of families in the household responding and not
responding, and the month and year of the interview for each sampling
unit. The Family-Level File (Part 2) is made up of reconstructed
variables from the person-level data of the basic module and includes
information on sex, age, race, marital status, Hispanic origin,
education, veteran status, family income, family size, major
activities, health status, activity limits, and employment status,
along with industry and occupation. As part of the basic module, the
Person-Level File (Part 3) provides information on all family members
with respect to health status, limitation of daily activities,
cognitive impairment, and health conditions. Also included are data on
years at current residence, region variables, height, weight, bed
days, doctor visits, hospital stays, and health care access and
utilization. A randomly-selected adult in each family was interviewed
for the Sample Adult File (Part 4) regarding respiratory conditions,
renal conditions, AIDS, joint symptoms, health status, limitation of
daily activities, and behaviors such as smoking, alcohol consumption,
and physical activity. Also included in this file are variables
pertaining to the Healthy People 2010 Objectives. The Sample Child
File (Part 5) provides information from an adult in the household on
medical conditions of one child in the household, such as respiratory
problems, seizures, allergies, and use of special equipment such as
hearing aids, braces, or wheelchairs. Also included are variables
regarding child behavior, the use of mental health services, and
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The Child
Immunization File (Part 6) presents information from shot records on
vaccination status, number and dates of shots, and information about
the chicken pox vaccine. Episode-based information regarding injuries
and poisonings is found in the Injury and Poison Episode File (Part
7), which examines the cause and date of injury or poisoning, loss of
time from work or school, and whether the episode resulted in
hospitalization. Information in the Injury and Poison Verbatim File
(Part 8) is comprised of narrative text describing injuries, including
type of injury, how the injury occurred, and the body part
injured. The Alternative Health Supplement (Part 9) collected
information from sample adults on their use of 17 nonconventional
health care practices: acupuncture, ayurveda, biofeedback, chelation
therapy, chiropractic care, energy healing therapy/Reiki, folk
medicine, hypnosis, massage, naturopathy, natural herbs, homeopathic
treatment, special diets, high dose or megavitamin therapy, yoga/tai
chi/qi gong, relaxation techniques, and prayer and spiritual
healing. The Alternative Health Verbatim File (Part 10) contains the
narrative text regarding the use of nontraditional health care
practices.