Description

For Sample Adults age 18+ who, without using special equipment, had any difficulty with one or more functional activities (FLANY), and for whom a back or neck problem was reported as a condition causing a functional activity limitation (FLBACK), FLBACKNO reports the number of time units the respondent stated when reporting the duration of the back or neck problem.

Data on the duration of the limiting back or neck problem were collected via the question, "How long have you had [a back or neck problem]?" Respondents could answer this open-ended question using the time unit of their choice (i.e., days, weeks, months, years, or since birth). The original responses to the question are reported in two complementary variables, FLBACKTP (which specifies the time unit) and FLBACKNO (which reports the number of such units). As noted in the Codebooks for 1997 forward, "years are topcoded at 85." 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 (FLBACKY) and groups of months (FLBACKMO).

Comparability

The variable is completely comparable over time.

Universe

Availability

• 1997-2018

Weights

• 1997-2018 : SAMPWEIGHT