Description

For all injury/poisoning episodes that occurred in the past 3 months, IRPOISYN reports whether or not episode was a poisoning episode.

The NHIS originally release the 1997-1999 injury episodes and poisoning episodes in two separate files. Beginning in 2000, these were combined into a single file. IPUMS NHIS has reformatted the pre-2000 poisoning records so injury and poisoning episodes are available as a single record type in these years, improving comparability with subsequent years. In 1997-1999, IRPOISYN allows data users to note if the episode was originally offered by NHIS as a poisoning record in the 1997-1999 samples. For 2000-forward, IRPOISYN indicates if the cause of the injury was reported as a poisoning.

IRPOISYN is an injury/poisoning-level variable.

IRPOISYN is part of a series of variables initiated in 1997 that systematically report persons' injuries and poisonings, the cause, what the person was doing while sustaining the injury or poisoning, and where she/he was at the time of the injury or poisoning. For related variables and additional information, please see the User Note on Injuries and Poisonings or use the IHIS search function and drop-down menus.

Comparability

The source of information for this variable changes over time. In 1997-1999 the variable effectively flags the if the original NHIS data source for the episode was the public use poisoning file. Beginning in 2000 the variable is based on the respondent's response to the cause of the specific injury. For 2000-2003 the more expansive variable IRCAUSE is used as these frequencies correspond to those in the poisoning-specific variables. However, beginning in 2004, poisoning was no longer offered as a category for general cause of injury and poisoning as the cause of an injury/poisoning episode can only be inferred from the more narrowly defined external cause codes used to create IRECAUSNEW.

Universe

Availability

• 1997-2014

Weights

• 1997-2014 : PERWEIGHT