National Health Interview Survey, 1997

The purpose of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) is to obtain information about the amount and distribution of illness, its effects in terms of disability and chronic impairments, and the kinds of health services people receive. Implementation of a redesigned NHIS, consisting of a basic module, a periodic module, and a topical module, began with the 1997 data collection. The present collection consists of the basic module only, plus additional household data. The basic module corresponds to the former NHIS core questionnaire and is made up of the family core, the sample adult core, and the sample child core questions. Each record in the Household-Level File (Part 1) contains information on the type of living quarters, number of families in the household responding and not responding, and the month and year of the interview for each eligible sampling unit. The Family-Level File (Part 2) is made up of reconstructed variables from the person-level data of the basic module and includes information on sex, age, race, marital status, Hispanic origin, education, veteran status, family income, family size, major activities, health status, activity limits, and employment status, along with industry and occupation. As part of the basic module, the Person-Level File (Part 3) provides information on all family members with respect to health status, limitation of daily activities, cognitive impairment, and health conditions. Also included are data on years at current residence, region variables, height, weight, bed days, doctor visits, hospital stays, and health care access and utilization. Episode-based information is found in the Injury Episode File (Part 4), while the Poison Episode File (Part 5) examines the cause and date of injury or poisoning, loss of time from work or school, and whether the poisoning resulted in hospitalization. Information in the Injury Verbatim File (Part 6) is comprised of narrative text describing injuries, including type of injury, how the injury occurred, and the body part injured. A randomly-selected adult in each family was interviewed for the Sample Adult File (Part 7) regarding respiratory conditions, renal conditions, AIDS, and joint symptoms, along with questions regarding health status, limitation of daily activities, and behaviors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical activity. The Sample Child File (Part 8) provides information from a knowledgeable adult in the household on medical conditions of one child in the household, such as respiratory problems, seizures, allergies, and use of special equipment such as hearing aids, braces, or wheelchairs. Also included are questions regarding child behavior and the use of mental health services. The Child Immunization File (Part 9) presents information from shot records and supplies vaccination status, along with the number and dates of shots, and information about chicken pox vaccines.