Description

HYPERTENEV indicates whether sample adults had ever been told by a doctor or other health professional that they had "hypertension, also called high blood pressure."

The Field Representative's Manuals for 1997 forward directed that only reports of hypertension or high blood pressure that were diagnosed by a doctor or other health care professional should be included. Results from home blood pressure testing or testing by a machine in the mall or other commercial establishment were not to be included. The Manuals for 1997-2000 also included the directive, "Do not include reports of 'potential hypertension' or 'borderline hypertension.'"

The Manuals for 2001 forward provided the following definition of hypertension:

Neither these directions nor this definition were routinely shared with respondents.

In 2002 and 2007, persons giving an affirmative answer to HYPERTENEV were asked whether they had hypertension during the past 12 months (HYPERTENYR). (Such information was also collected for all persons age 20 and older in 1977.) For 1997 forward, those giving an affirmative response to HYPERTENEV were asked a follow-up question about whether they were ever told on two or more different visits that they had hypertension (HYP2TIME).

Comparability

Changes to the universe affect the comparability of this variable over time; please see the Universe Tab for detailed descriptions of who is in universe for this variable in each sample.

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

• 1974, 1976, 1982-1985, 1988-1991, 1993-1994, 1997-2022

Weights

• 1976, 1982, 1989 : PERWEIGHT
• 1974, 1984-1985, 1988, 1990-1991, 1997-2022 : SAMPWEIGHT
• 1983 : SUPP1WT
• 1993-1994 : SUPP2WT