Codes and Frequencies
Description
THYROIDYRC indicates whether the person had chronic thyroid trouble or goiter in the past year. This variable is created with supplemental programming by the IPUMS NHIS staff from the pre-1997 condition records. For general information about IHIS variables (such as THYROIDYRC) created from the pre-1997 condition records, see the User Note on Condition Records and Condition Variables.
Defining Thyroid Trouble Records and Identifying Persons with Thyroid Trouble
For all available years, persons who were asked a direct question about thyroid trouble and who have a chronic thyroid trouble condition record are given a "Yes" code for THYROIDYRC. Persons who were asked a direct question about thyroid trouble but do not have a chronic thyroid trouble record are given a code of "No." Persons who were not asked a direct question about thyroid trouble, or for whom it is unknown whether they were asked such a question, are given a code of "NIU" (not in universe), regardless of whether they have a chronic thyroid trouble record.
1973 and 1978-1981
For 1973 and 1978-1981, thyroid trouble records were defined as those condition records with any of the following codes in the variable DIAGR1 in the original NHIS public use files:
- "87" ("Goiter [all forms]")
- "88" ("Thyroid trouble, not otherwise specified")
- "89" ("Other specified diseases of thyroid gland")
These condition code values come from NCHS's Diagnostic Recode #1: Diseases, Injuries, and Impairments, not from the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes. Additionally, to be considered "chronic," thyroid trouble condition records must have a code of "1" ("Chronic") in the variable CACODE in the original NHIS public use files.
1982-1996
For 1982-1996, chronic thyroid trouble records were defined as those condition records with a code of "401" ("Goiter") or "402" ("Other disorders of the thyroid") in the variable C1CONDRC in the original NHIS public use files. These condition code values come from NCHS's Diagnostic Recode C: Chronic Conditions and Impairments.
Weights
For 1973, THYROIDYRC should be weighted with PERWEIGHT.
For 1978 to 1981, THYROIDYRC should be weighted with CONDWT3.
For 1982 to 1996, THYROIDYRC should be weighted with CONDWT4.
Related Thyroid Trouble Variables
The nearest equivalent of THYROIDYRC available after 1996 is THYROIDYR (Had thyroid problem, past 12 months). However, researchers should use caution when comparing prevalence estimates derived from these two variables, as the manner of collecting information about thyroid trouble differs greatly between the two. THYROIDYRC was created by recoding condition records that were generated in response to several different survey questions about health problems underlying disability, sick days, or contacts with health care practitioners. THYROIDYR, by contrast, is based on a direct question about whether the person had thyroid trouble.
Comparability
As with all of the person-level condition variables created by IHIS from condition records prior to 1997, the universe for THYROIDYRC is substantially different for 1978 forward than it is for years prior to 1978. Beginning in 1978, only persons living in 1/6 of households, rather than all persons, were asked a direct question about having thyroid trouble in the past year. There is also a minor universe change between the sets of years 1978-1981 and 1982-1996. These changes require that different weight variables be used depending on which years of data are analyzed. See the "Description" tab for details.
Additionally, there is a change in the way "Yes" responses are coded over time. See the User Note on Condition Records and Condition Variables for details about the composite coding scheme employed by IHIS.
Universe
- 1973: All persons.
- 1978-1981: Persons living in 1/6 of households (who received Condition List 3).
- 1982-1996: Persons living in 1/6 of households (who received Condition List 4).
Availability
- 1973, 1978-1996
