Description

For sample adults 18 and over, POTATOTP reports the time unit (day, week, month, or year) that corresponds with the frequency with which the respondent reported eating other (i.e., non-fried) potatoes. Other potatoes are described as baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes as well as potato salad. POTATOTP should be used in conjunction with POTATONO, which reports the corresponding frequency stated by the respondent. For information about the portion size, see POTATSIZ.

POTATOTP is part of a series of variables initiated in 1987 related to food, food knowledge, and cancer.

Comparability

Prior to 2000, respondents were asked about foods they usually ate in the past year. Beginning in 2000, this recall period was reduced to foods the respondent usually ate in the past month. The structure of the responses beginning in 2000 excluding 2005 (recording number of times a food was consumed and the time unit associated with that frequency) makes it possible to compare response categories even with different recall periods. In 2005, this format of separate frequency and time units was not used; instead respondents' answers were organized into pre-defined categories. Researchers interested in using all years of available data may consider seeing the 2005 variable POTATOMO, and modifying POTATONO and POTATOTP to correspond to the pre-defined categories from 2005.

Prior to 2010, respondents were told not to include sweet potatoes. However, beginning in 2010, respondents were told to include sweet potatoes.

Changes in survey design (e.g., quarters in which the supplement was collected) may affect raw frequencies, but do not affect comparability of the variable. As always, data users should use the prescribed IPUMS NHIS weights.

The NHIS questionnaire was substantially redesigned in 2019 to introduce a different data collection structure and new content. For more information on changes in terminology, universes, and data collection methods beginning in 2019, please see the user note.

Universe

Availability

• 1987, 1992, 2000, 2010, 2015, 2022

Weights

• 1987, 1992, 2000, 2010, 2015, 2022 : SAMPWEIGHT