Description

For sample adults (and sample children in 1988), EPILEPSYEV indicates if they have ever been told by a doctor or other health professional that they have a seizure disorder or epilepsy.

Beginning in 2010, the field representative's manual defines seizures as "Some people may call it "convulsion," "fit," "falling out spell," "episode," "attack," "drop attack," "staring spell," or "out-of-touch". If the respondent mentions and counts "auras" as seizures accept the response. If a respondent indicates that he/she has had nothing more than an aura and is unsure about counting the aura(s), do NOT count auras as seizures."

Related Variables

Beginning in 2010, sample adults who acknowledged ever being told they had epilepsy were asked a series of follow-up questions. The variables related to these questions were:

Comparability

Apart from slight changes in question wording between years and changes in the universe from 1988 EPILEPSYEV is mostly comparable between 1988 and 2017.

In 1988 for sample persons age 17 and under EPILEPSYEV indicates if they ever had epilepsy or repeated convulsions or seizures not associated with fever. In 2008, this variable indicates if the person ever had epilepsy or seizures. Beginning in 2010, it instead reports if the sample persons have ever been told by a doctor or other health professional that they have a seizure disorder or epilepsy.

Comparability between years after 2019 and earlier years may be affected by changes to the universe over time and the 2019 questionnaire redesign. 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

• 1988, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2021-2023

Weights

• 1988, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2021-2023 : SAMPWEIGHT