Codes and Frequencies
Description
ULCERSKINYRC indicates whether the person had a chronic skin ulcer in the past year. 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 ULCERSKINYRC) created from the pre-1997 condition records, see the User Note on Condition Records and Condition Variables.
Defining Skin Ulcer Records and Identifying Persons with a Skin Ulcer
For all available years, persons who were asked a direct question about having a skin ulcer and who have a chronic skin ulcer condition record are given a "Yes" code for ULCERSKINYRC. Persons who were asked a direct question about a skin ulcer but do not have a chronic skin ulcer record are given a code of "No." Persons who were not asked a direct question about a skin ulcer, 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 skin ulcer record.
1969, 1976, and 1978
For 1969, 1976, and 1978, skin ulcer records were defined as those condition records with any of the following codes in the variables DIAGCODE (1969) or DCICDCOD (1976, 1978) in the original NHIS public use files:
- "7070" ("Decubitus ulcer")
- "7071" ("[Chronic ulcer of skin on] lower extremity, except decubitus ulcer")
- "7079" ("Other [chronic ulcer of skin]")
These condition code values come from the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) Revision 8. Additionally, to be considered "chronic," skin ulcer condition records must have a code of "1" ("Chronic") in the variable CONDCODE (1969) or the variable CACODE (1976, 1978) in the original NHIS public use files.
1979 to 1981
For 1979-1981, skin ulcer records were defined as those condition records with any of the following codes in the variable DCICDCOD in the original NHIS public use files:
- "7070" ("Decubitus ulcer")
- "7071" ("Ulcer of the lower limbs, except decubitus")
- "7078" ("Chronic ulcer of other specified sites")
- "7079" ("Chronic ulcer of unspecified site")
These condition code values come from ICD Revision 9. As with earlier years, to be considered "chronic," skin ulcer condition records must have a code of "1" ("Chronic") in the variable variable CACODE in the original NHIS public use files.
1982 to 1996
For 1982 to 1996, chronic skin ulcer records were defined as those condition records with a code of "115" ("Chronic ulcer of skin") 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 1969 and 1976, ULCERSKINYRC should be weighted with PERWEIGHT.
For 1978 to 1981, ULCERSKINYRC should be weighted with CONDWT2.
For 1982 to 1996, ULCERSKINYRC should be weighted with CONDWT1.
Comparability
As with all of the person-level condition variables created by IHIS from condition records prior to 1997, the universe for ULCERSKINYRC 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 having skin ulcer in the past year. There is also a minor universe change between the sets of years 1978-1981 and 1982-1996. 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
- 1969; 1976: All persons.
- 1978-1981: Persons living in 1/6 of households (who received Condtion List 2).
- 1982-1996: Persons living in 1/6 of households (who received Condtion List 1).
Availability
- 1969, 1976, 1978-1996
