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Codes and Frequencies



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Description

EPILEPSYNOWC indicates whether the person now has chronic epilepsy. This variable is created with supplemental programming by the IPUMS NHIS staff from the pre-1997 condition records. For general information about IHIS variables (such as EPILEPSYNOWC) created from the pre-1997 condition records, see the User Note on Condition Records and Condition Variables.

Defining Epilepsy Records and Identifying Persons with Epilepsy

For all available years, persons who were asked a direct question about having epilepsy and who have a chronic epilepsy condition record are given a "Yes" code for EPILEPSYNOWC. Persons who were asked a direct question about having epilepsy but do not have a chronic epilepsy record are given a code of "No." Persons who were not asked a direct question about epilepsy, or for whom it is unknown whether they were asked such a question, are given a code of "NIU" (not in universe), regardless of whether they have a chronic epilepsy record.

1977 and 1978 

For 1977 and 1978, chronic epilepsy records were defined as those condition records with any of the following codes in the variable DCICDCOD in the original NHIS public use files:

  • "3450" ("Generalized nonconvulsive epilepsy")
  • "3451" ("Generalized convulsive epilepsy")
  • "3452" ("Status epilepticus")
  • "3453" ("Partial [focalized], temporal lobe or psychomotor epilepsy")
  • "3454" ("Partial [focalized], motor type epilepsy")
  • "3455" ("Partial [focalized], other and unspecified type epilepsy")
  • "3459" ("Other and unspecified epilepsy")

These condition code values come from the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) Revision 8. Additionally, to be considered "chronic," epilepsy condition records must have a code of "1" ("Chronic") in the variable CACODE in the original NHIS public use files.

1979 to 1981 

For 1979 to 1981, chronic epilepsy records were defined as those condition records with any of the following codes in the variable DCICDCOD in the original NHIS public use files:

  • "3450" ("Generalized nonconvulsive epilepsy")
  • "3451" ("Generalized convulsive epilepsy")
  • "3452" ("Petit mal status")
  • "3453" ("Grand mal status")
  • "3454" ("Partial epilepsy, with impairment of consciousness")
  • "3455" ("Partial epilepsy, without mention of impairment of consciousness")
  • "3456" ("Infantile spasms")
  • "3457" ("Epilepsia partialis continua")
  • "3458" ("Other forms of epilepsy")
  • "3459" ("Epilepsy, unspecified")

These condition code values come from the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) Revision 9. As with earlier years, to be considered "chronic," epilepsy condition records must also have a code of "1" ("Chronic") in the variable CACODE in the original NHIS public use files.

1982 and 1983 

For 1982 and 1983, chronic epilepsy records were defined as those condition records with a code of "405" ("Epilepsy") in the variable C1CONDRC in the original NHIS public use files. This condition code value comes from NCHS's Diagnostic Recode C: Chronic Conditions and Impairments.

Weights
For 1977, EPILEPSYNOWC should be weighted with PERWEIGHT.

For 1978 to 1981, EPILEPSYNOWC should be weighted with CONDWT4.

For 1982 and 1983, EPILEPSYNOWC should be weighted with CONDWT2.

Related Epilepsy Variables
The nearest equivalent of EPILEPSYNOWC available after 1996 is EPILEPSYEV (Ever had epilepsy or seizures). However, researchers should use caution when comparing prevalence estimates derived from these two variables, as both the manner of collecting information about epilepsy and the reference period differ greatly between the two. EPILEPSYNOWC was created by recoding condition records that were generated in response to several different survey questions about health problems underlying disability, sick days, or contacts with health care practitioners. EPILEPSYEV, by contrast, is based on a direct question about whether the person ever had epilepsy or seizures.

Comparability

As with all of the person-level condition variables created by IHIS from condition records prior to 1997, the universe for EPILEPSYNOWC is substantially different for 1978 forward than it is for years prior to 1978. Beginning in 1978, only persons living in 1/6 of households, rather than all persons, were asked a direct question about currently having epilepsy. There is also a minor universe change between the sets of years 1978-1981 and 1982-1983. These changes require that different weight variables be used depending on which years of data are analyzed. See the "Description" tab for details.

Additionally, there is a change in the way "Yes" responses are coded over time. See the User Note on Condition Records and Condition Variables for details about the composite coding scheme employed by IHIS.

Universe

  • 1977: All persons.
  • 1978-1981: Persons living in 1/6 of households (who received condition list 4).
  • 1982-1983: Persons living in 1/6 of households (who received condition list 2).

Availability

  • 1977-1983

Weights