Description

DIABETICAGE reports age at first diagnosis by a doctor of "diabetes or sugar diabetes," for sample adults who were ever told by a doctor or other health professional that they had diabetes (other than during pregnancy alone or prediabetes) (DIABETICEV). Persons who reported their diagnosis as "borderline" diabetes were not asked this follow-up question. The Field Representative's Manual for 1997-2000 directed interviewers to probe for a specific age but to "record a best estimate if that is what the sample adult gives you."

The 2006 Codebook for the NHIS public use data files contains the following warning about inaccuracies in this variable:

Other diabetes-related questions were periodically included in the survey; see DIABETICEV for a summary of these variables currently in the IPUMS NHIS.

Comparability

Before 2019, this variable is almost completely comparable over time. The top-coded age is 83 in 1999 and is 85 in all other years.

Questionnaire design changes introduced in 2019 limit comparability with earlier years. 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

• 1976, 1989, 1991, 1997-2023

Weights

• 1976, 1989 : PERWEIGHT
• 1991, 1997-2023 : SAMPWEIGHT