Notices for Data Users, User Cautions and Future Updates 1999 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) 02/28/2002 ----------------------------------------------------------------- 1999 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) Public Use Release New for the 1999 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) is the addition of questions related to chronic conditions and health care access and utilization in the Sample Adult and Sample Child questionnaires. These periodic questions are imbedded in the Sample Adult and Sample Child questionnaires and may be asked again in future years. Periodic questions are identified by nine-digit question numbers, as opposed to the six-digit question numbers used for the Core questions. Please see the Survey Description Document for more detail. Topics include: - Adult chronic conditions, including hypertension (high blood pressure), heart disease, osteoporosis, Parkinson's disease, asthma, digestive disorders, diabetes, joint problems, eye/ear problems, mental health, etc. - Adult preventive health, including dental care, cancer screening, and tetanus shots - Adult use of alternative therapies and treatments - Female health issues, such as menstrual cycles, menopause, and hormone replacement therapy - Children's health topics, including asthma, dental care, and access to care. Changes to the Core questionnaires were minimal during 1999 and include: - Questions on the Children's Health Insurance Program and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program - New race/ethnicity variables consistent with OMB guidelines. For instance, "Asian and Pacific Islander" is now split into two categories, "Asian", and "Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander". However, confidentiality concerns do not permit the NHIS to show data for Native Hawaiians and some Asian subgroups separately. Documentation on these changes will be released in the near future. Users are encouraged to join the NHIS Listserv and receive automatic announcements of updates to the NHIS files. To join the Listserv, visit the CDC website at: http://www.cdc.gov/subscribe.html In addition, notices of changes will be posted in the HIS99LOG.TXT file, accessed through the 1999 Notices Section of the NHIS website: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis.htm ----------------------------------------------------------------- Contact information for questions on the NHIS: National Center for Health Statistics Division of Health Interview Statistics 6525 Belcrest RD, Rm. 850 Hyattsville, MD 20782 E-mail: nhislist@cdc.gov Voice: 301-458-4901 FAX: 301-458-4035