Description

For sample children under age 18 who have at least five conditions, KIDC5 reports the fifth condition listed. Interviewers asked whether the child has ever had any of a number of conditions and persons could answer "yes" to as many as applied.

Interviewers were instructed not to include any of the following conditions: red, sore, or strep throat, cold, flu, grippe, or "virus." If persons answered "yes" to "tonsillitis or enlargement of the tonsils or adenoids," interviewers were instructed to probe how many times the child had had that condition. If the child had that condition more than once or for a month or longer, the interviewer recorded the condition. If the child only had that condition once for less than one month, the interviewer did not record it. If the person answered "yes" to "any other liver trouble", "any other bowel trouble", "any other condition of the digestive system", "any other respiratory, lung, or pulmonary condition", "any other condition affecting the bone, cartilage, muscle, or tendon", "any other kind of skin trouble", "any other trouble hearing with one or both ears", "any other trouble seeing with one or both eyes, even when wearing glasses", "any other speech defect", "any other kidney trouble", or "any other heart trouble", the interviewer probed to see whether the condition had lasted at least three months (or since birth, for babies less than three months old), or whether it was an obviously permanent condition. If the condition had not lasted at least three months or was not an obviously permanent condition, the condition was not recorded.

The Field Representative's Manual included the following instructions, "If a respondent asks the definition of any of the conditions, say that you are not a medically trained person and are not familiar with the terms."

KIDC5 was introduced in 1981 as part of the Child Health Supplement. For related variables, please use the IPUMS NHIS search function or drop-down menus.

Comparability

There are no comparability issues with this variable.

Universe

Availability

• 1981

Weights

• 1981 : SAMPWEIGHT