DOI: 10.3886/icpsr03107.v1
title: National Health Interview Survey, 1998
title: Version 1

description: 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 (ICPSR 2954), consisting of a basic module, a periodic module, and a topical module, began in 1997. The present collection consists of the basic module and topical modules on prevention, which contain pregnancy and smoking components along with information on prevention of illness and injury for adults and children. Each record in the Household-Level File (Part 1) of the basic module contains data 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. A randomly-selected adult in each family was interviewed for the Sample Adult File (Part 4) regarding respiratory conditions, renal conditions, AIDS, joint symptoms, health status, limitation of daily activities, and behaviors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical activity. The Sample Child File (Part 5) 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 6) presents information from shot records and supplies vaccination status, along with the number and dates of shots, and information about the chicken pox vaccine. Episode-based information is found in the Injury Episode File (Part 7), while information in the Injury Verbatim File (Part 8) is comprised of narrative text describing injuries, including type of injury, how the injury occurred, and the body part injured. The Poison Episode File (Part 9) examines the cause and date of injury or poisoning, loss of time from work or school, and whether the poisoning resulted in hospitalization. The prevention modules are being examined to determine the "Healthy People Objectives for 2010," which have the aim of reducing or preventing illness and disease among Americans. The Pregnancy and Smoking Prevention Module (Part 10) contains a record for every woman 18-49 years of age and provides information on tobacco use and smoking during pregnancy. The Sample Adult Prevention Module (Part 11) examines injury prevention, environmental health issues, tobacco use, nutrition, workplace health promotion, heart disease, stroke, chronic diseases, clinical services used, preventive services used, cancer, oral health, physical activity, mental health, family discussions, and firearm safety. The Sample Child Prevention Module (Part 12) provides information on health conditions, dental care, and injury prevention, along with use of seat belts and safety equipment during participation in sports.
description: Datasets: 
 
 DS0: Study-Level Files 
 DS1: Household-Level File 
 DS2: Family-Level File 
 DS3: Person-Level File 
 DS4: Sample Adult File 
 DS5: Sample Child File 
 DS6: Child Immunization File 
 DS7: Injury Episode File 
 DS8: Injury Verbatim File 
 DS9: Poison Episode File 
 DS10: Pregnancy and Smoking Prevention Module 
 DS11: Sample Adult Prevention Module 
 DS12: Sample Child Prevention Module
description: National Health Interview Survey Series
description: Users should refer to the codebook for a detailed description of the changes implemented beginning with the 1997 NHIS.
The data from the Household-Level File can be merged with any of the other files, and other files can be merged as well. For further information on merging data, consult the codebook.
The periodic module is not yet available from NCHS. When released, it will provide more detailed information on topics resulting from the basic module.
Per agreement with NCHS, ICPSR distributes the data files and text of the technical documentation in this collection in their original form as prepared by NCHS.
description: Civilian, noninstitutionalized population of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
description: The NHIS uses a stratified multistage probability design. The sample for the NHIS is redesigned every decade using population data from the most recent decennial census. A redesigned sample was implemented in 1995. This new design includes a greater number of primary sampling units (PSUs) (from 198 in 1994 to 358), and a more complicated nonresponse adjustment based on household screening and oversampling of Black and Hispanic persons, for more reliable estimates of these groups.