Description

For sample adults who have trouble hearing or are deaf, or who hear worse in one ear than the other (for 2007), HEARDAAGE reports the age in categories for the beginning of adult's hearing loss.

Related Variables

Other variables are included in the NHIS survey.

Comparability

Apart from changes in universe, substantive changes in the question wording and in the response categories also reduce comparability over time. In 1999, interviewers asked when respondents, "began to have hearing loss." That year, 6 categories were recognized, with childhood divided into at birth, less than 3 years, and 3 to 18 years ("less than 19 years). In 2002, interviewers asked when respondents, "began to have ANY hearing loss in either ear." That year, 7 categories were recognized, with childhood divided into at birth, 0 to 2 years, 3 to 5 years and 6 to 18 years. In 2007, interviewers asked when respondents, "began to have ANY permanent" hearing loss. There were 9 categories, with the additional childhood category of 6 to 11 years , and adult response categories changed to 20 to 39 years, 40 to 59 years, 60 to 69 years and 70 or more.

IPUMS NHIS uses a recode structure which recognizes broad age categories to increase comparability over time. Categories which include ages 3 to 19 start with the number "3." Response categories indicating adulthood start with "4,"and responses indicating elderly start with "5." See the "Codes" link above for further description of the recoding scheme.

Universe

Availability

• 1999, 2002, 2007

Weights

• 1999, 2002, 2007 : SAMPWEIGHT