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Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) Public-Use Data Files Errata

The following items indicate discrepancies found after the release of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) CD-ROM in 1997. This affects both the NHANES III SETS and ASCII CD-ROMs.

File Location: Exam
Section: BM - Body Measurements
Item Name: BMPRECUM
Description: Additional Note to be added to explain discrepancy of some measurements in BMPRECUM due to technician error.
BMPRECUM: This additonal note documents incorrect or highly unusual data values that were determined for this variable. Analysts may wish to correct or be aware of these measurements. The sequence number and current value in the data file are given below. To correct these, 23.1 should be subtracted from each of the values shown below for BMPRECUM.

 

Sequence No. BMPRECUM
17350 83.6
1936 81.1
18423 88.1
6939 94.6
*7778 87.6
1133 90.6
15844 102.3
1768 106.1
13630 108.7
13510 105.6
3327 104.1
6672 106.1
8517 115.3
20377 117.1
13749 115.6
18556 119.5
*This record was found to be correct on July 24, 1997, after the CD-ROM had already been released. Do NOT subtract 23.1 from this record.

 

File Location: Exam
Section: MA - Mec Adult Questionnaire
Item Name: MAPF32S
Description: SAS label for this variable incorrectly states the question as "How many days ago stop taking BC pills." Correct wording for SAS label is "How many months ago stop taking BC pills." Code book is correct. Data is correct. Index reflects incorrect SAS label.

 

File Location: Adult
Section: Documentation - Index of Variables
Description:
An unknown error occurred when creating the Index of Variables in the documentation. The index specifies incorrect positions for a subset of variables and leaves out some variable names. The data is correct and the codebook correctly describes all data items and positions in the file. Use the codebook when referencing data positions and item names in the ADULT file. A corrected copy of the Documentation Index of Variables is available on request by contacting the Information Dissemination Staff, 3311 Toledo Road, Hyattsville, Maryland 20782 (301) 436-8500.

 

File
Location
Exam
Section: Body Measurements
Item Name: BMPBMI
Description: Additional note to be added to explain discrepancy between BMI calculated from variables BMPWT and BMPHT (BMPBMI=BMPWT/BMPHT**2) vs. use of BMI from the pre-calculated BMPBMI variable on the file.
BMPBMI This note documents incorrect data values for the BMPBMI variable that do not satisfy the equation BMI=weight/height**2. Analysts may wish to correct or be aware of these incorrect values. Another alternative is to simply disregard the BMPBMI variable and calculate the actual BMI (BMI=BMPWT/BMPHT**2) for BMI analysis. Discrepancies arose as the result of final edits made to the BMPWT and/or BMPHT variables for selected subjects, and failing to then recalculate BMPBMI for these subjects prior to release of the public-use data file.

 

Sequence No. BMPBMI Actual
BMI
8769 12.2 14.5
9967 17.2 12.3
13106 24.7 18.4
19083 12.2 14.3
21348 41.5 33.4
37200 42.4 29.8
37451 20.3 27.0
44949 15.8 19.9
48587 12.5 16.5
49438 16.2 16.3
53487 16.5 24.7
53510 15.5 23.5

 

File Location: Exam
Section: MA - MEC Adult Questionnaire
Item Name: MAPF12R
Description:
Note lists incorrect ages for administration of question. Corrected note text follows.
MAPF12R: Pregnancy status recode

This variable combines responses from self-reported pregnancy status (F12) with the results of urine pregnancy test conducted in the mobile examination center on women 17-49 years of age. If either the self-report or the test  result was positive, then MAPF12R was coded yes. Otherwise, if either the self-report or test result was negative, then MAPF12R was coded no. If the self-report was don't know and the test result was either inconclusive or blank but applicable, then MAPF12R was coded don't know. If the self-report was blank but applicable and the test result was inconclusive, then MAPF12R was also coded don't know. Finally, if both responses were blank but applicable, then MAPF12R was coded blank but applicable.

If, when running a frequency on your variables you notice fill values not specified in the documentation, for instance a 9998, the SAS engine you are running may be different from that used to generate the SAS input statements. The problem may be corrected by increasing the SAS length by 1 for that variable.

For instance hyaitmo may appear to have a fill value of 9998.

Use the SAS length statement to increase the length from 3 to 4 in the SAS dataset:
bullet graphiclength hyaitmo 4;
bullet graphicthe data on the ASCII ROM is accurate.

The following variables may be affected:

Variable File
Location
HYAITMO Exam, Lab, Youth
HXPH21S Exam
MAPF51 Exam
MAPF54R Exam
MAPF55 Adult
HAB6S Adult
HAD9S Adult
HAS12S Adult
HAT1S Adult
HAT3S Adult
HAT5S Adult
HAT7S Adult
HAT9S Adult
HAT11S Adult
HAT13S Adult
HAT15S Adult
HAT17S Adult
HAT20S Adult
HAT22S Adult
HAT24S Adult
HAT26S Adult
HAV1S Adult
HAV4S Adult
HAV6S Adult
HAV7R Adult

Contacts
For publications and electronic data products from NHANES: call (301) 458-4636 or NTIS or GPO.

Technical questions about the file contact:
Division of Health Examination Statistics
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Health Statistics
3311 Toledo Road
Hyattsville, Maryland 20782-2003
(301) 458-4567

 

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This page last reviewed July 24, 2008

H H S Health and Human Services logo and link
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Health Statistics
Hyattsville, MD
20782

1-800-232-4636