Health Interview Survey, 1983

The basic purpose of the Health Interview Survey 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. There are five types of records in this core survey, each in a separate data file. The variables in the Household File (Part 1) include type of living quarters, size of family, number of families in household, and geographic region. The variables in the Person File (Part 2) include sex, age, race, marital status, veteran status, education, income, industry and occupation codes, and limits on activity. These variables are found in the Condition, Doctor Visit, and Hospital Episode Files as well. The Person File also supplies data on height, weight, bed days, doctor visits, hospital stays, years at residence, and region variables. The Condition (Part 3), Doctor Visit (Part 4), and Hospital Episode (Part 5) Files contain information on each reported condition, two-week doctor visit, or hospitalization (twelve-month recall), respectively. A sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth file have been added, along with the five core files. The Alcohol/Health Practices Supplement File (Part 6) includes information on diet, smoking and drinking habits, and health problems. The Bed Days and Dental Care Supplement File (Part 7) contains information on the number of bed days, the number of and reason for
dental visits, treatment(s) received, type of dentist seen, and travel
time for visit. The Doctor Services Supplement File (Part 8) supplies data on visits to doctors or other health professionals, reasons for visits, health conditions, and operations performed. The Health Insurance Supplement File (Part 9) documents basic demographic information along with medical coverage and health insurance plans, as well as differentiates between hospital, doctor visit, and surgical insurance coverage.