National Health Interview Survey, 1998

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 (ICPSR 2954), consisting of a basic module, a periodic
module, and a topical module, began in 1997. The present collection
consists of the basic module and topical modules on prevention, which
contain pregnancy and smoking components along with information on
prevention of illness and injury for adults and children. Each record
in the Household-Level File (Part 1) of the basic module contains data
on the type of living quarters, number of families in the household
responding and not responding, and the month and year of the interview
for each eligible 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. The Sample Child File (Part 5)
provides information from a knowledgeable 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 questions
regarding child behavior and the use of mental health services. The
Child Immunization File (Part 6) presents information from shot
records and supplies vaccination status, along with the number and
dates of shots, and information about the chicken pox
vaccine. Episode-based information is found in the Injury Episode File
(Part 7), while information in the Injury 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 Poison
Episode File (Part 9) examines the cause and date of injury or
poisoning, loss of time from work or school, and whether the poisoning
resulted in hospitalization. The prevention modules are being examined
to determine the "Healthy People Objectives for 2010," which have the
aim of reducing or preventing illness and disease among Americans. The
Pregnancy and Smoking Prevention Module (Part 10) contains a record
for every woman 18-49 years of age and provides information on tobacco
use and smoking during pregnancy. The Sample Adult Prevention Module
(Part 11) examines injury prevention, environmental health issues,
tobacco use, nutrition, workplace health promotion, heart disease,
stroke, chronic diseases, clinical services used, preventive services
used, cancer, oral health, physical activity, mental health, family
discussions, and firearm safety. The Sample Child Prevention Module
(Part 12) provides information on health conditions, dental care, and
injury prevention, along with use of seat belts and safety equipment
during participation in sports.