Codes and Frequencies
Description
For persons who have at least one activity limitation (LANY), and for whom a birth defect was reported as a condition causing any activity limitation (CLIMBIRTH), CLIMBIRTHMO reports the duration, in months, of the back or neck problem.
Data on the duration of limiting birth defect were collected via the question, "How long [have/has] [you/person] had [a birth defect]?" Respondents could answer this open-ended question using the time unit of their choice (i.e., days, weeks, months, or years). The original responses to the question are reported in two complementary variables, CLIMBIRTHTP (which specifies the time unit) and CLIMBIRTHNO (which reports the number of such units). For the NHIS public use files, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) recoded the results from these two variables to create two other variables using standard time units: years (CLIMBIRTHY) and groups of months (CLIMBIRTHMO).
Comparability
Apart from a change in the coding of "unknown" cases, this variable is comparable across years.
All "unknown" cases for this variable share a common first digit of "9." The meaning of the second digit following the 9 differs for 2001 versus 2002 forward. In the earlier period, the "unknowns" were categorized as:
- Unknown number of days (IPUMS NHIS code 91)
- Unknown number of weeks (IHIS code 92)
- Unknown number of months (IHIS code 93)
- Unknown number of years (IHIS code 94)
- Unknown time with condition (IHIS code 95)
In the latter period, "unknowns" were categorized as:
- Unknown-refused (IHIS code 97)
- Unknown-not ascertained (IHIS code 98)
- Unknown-don't know (IHIS code 99)
Analysts can achieve comparability across all years by combining codes with a common first digit of 9 into a single "unknown" category.
Universe
- 1997-2018: Persons limited due to birth defect.
Availability
- 1997-2018
Weights
- 1997-2018 : PERWEIGHT
