Table of Contents

Component Description

The Early Childhood section of the Sample Person Questionnaire (variable name prefix ECQ) provides personal interview data for children, including the age of the biological mother when the child survey participant was born, smoking habits of the mother while she was pregnant with the participant, birth weight, and attendance at preschool. Many of the questions were included in NHANES III.

Eligible Sample

The target sample, for the questions in this section, is persons from birth to 15 years of age. However, target samples for some questions in this section vary. Please review the codebook carefully. Frequency counts were verified during the preparation of the file.

Interview Setting and Mode of Administration

These questions were asked before the physical examination, in the home, using the Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing-CAPI (interviewer administered) system.

For details on the administration of the Early Childhood (ECQ) section, please refer to the NHANES 2003-2004 Interviewer Procedure Manuals and the Early Childhood Sample Person Questionnaire on the NHANES website.

Quality Assurance & Quality Control

For details on the QA/QC process for this component, please refer to the NHANES 2003-2004 Interviewer Procedure Manuals on the NHANES website.

Data Processing and Editing

For ECD070A (weight at birth, pounds) and ECD070B (weight at birth, ounces), all responses of 13 pounds or over were collapsed into a single category, with ECD070A coded as '13' and ECD070B coded as '0'. This was done to protect the confidentiality of survey participants.

For ECD010 (age of biological mother when survey participant was born), any reported values over 44 years were coded as 45 years and older and any reported values under 15 years were coded as 14 years and younger. This was done to protect the confidentiality of participants.

Analytic Notes

2003-2004 changes

Although data in this file were collected as part of the household questionnaire, if they are merged with the MEC exam data, exam sample weights should be used for the analyses.

Please refer to the Analytic Guidelines for further details on the use of sample weights and other analytic issues. The Analytic Guidelines are available on the NHANES website.

Codebook and Frequencies

SEQN - Respondent sequence number

Variable Name:
SEQN
SAS Label:
Respondent sequence number
English Text:
Respondent sequence number.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 15 YEARS

ECD010 - Mother's age when born

Variable Name:
ECD010
SAS Label:
Mother's age when born
English Text:
First I have some questions about {SP NAME's} birth. How old was {SP NAME's} biological mother when {s/he} was born?
English Instructions:
ENTER AGE IN YEARS
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 15 YEARS
Hard Edits:
0 to 59
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
15 to 44 Range of Values 3829 3829
14 14 years or younger 26 3855
45 45 years or older 4 3859
7777 Refused 2 3861
9999 Don't know 48 3909
. Missing 0 3909

ECQ020 - Mother smoked when pregnant

Variable Name:
ECQ020
SAS Label:
Mother smoked when pregnant
English Text:
Did {SP NAME's} biological mother smoke at any time while she was pregnant with {him/her}?
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 15 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 636 636
2 No 3237 3873 ECQ060
7 Refused 0 3873 ECQ060
9 Don't know 36 3909 ECQ060
. Missing 0 3909

ECQ030 - Mother quit smoking while pregnant

Variable Name:
ECQ030
SAS Label:
Mother quit smoking while pregnant
English Text:
At any time during the pregnancy, did {SP NAME's} biological mother quit or refrain from smoking for the rest of the pregnancy?
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 15 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 240 240
2 No 384 624 ECQ060
7 Refused 0 624 ECQ060
9 Don't know 12 636 ECQ060
. Missing 3273 3909

ECQ040 - Mother quit smoking while pregnant (mo)

Variable Name:
ECQ040
SAS Label:
Mother quit smoking while pregnant (mo)
English Text:
About what month of the pregnancy did {SP NAME's} biological mother stop smoking?
English Instructions:
USE ROUNDING RULE IF NECESSARY.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 15 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 First month 52 52
2 Second month 39 91
3 Third month 53 144
4 Fourth month 28 172
5 Fifth month 21 193
6 Sixth month 18 211
7 Seventh month 19 230
8 Eighth month 5 235
9 Ninth month 2 237
77 Refused 0 237
99 Don't know 3 240
. Missing 3669 3909

ECQ060 - Receive newborn care at health facility

Variable Name:
ECQ060
SAS Label:
Receive newborn care at health facility
English Text:
Did {SP NAME} receive any newborn care in an intensive care unit, premature nursery, or any other type of special care facility?
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 15 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 542 542
2 No 3339 3881
7 Refused 0 3881
9 Don't know 28 3909
. Missing 0 3909

ECD070A - Weight at birth, pounds

Variable Name:
ECD070A
SAS Label:
Weight at birth, pounds
English Text:
How much did {SP NAME} weigh at birth?
English Instructions:
IF ANSWER GIVEN IN POUNDS ONLY, PROBE FOR OUNCES. IF ANSWER GIVEN IN EXACT POUNDS, ENTER NUMBER OF POUNDS AND 0 OUNCES. ENTER NUMBER OF POUNDS.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 15 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 to 12 Range of Values 3791 3791
13 13 pounds or more 2 3793
7777 Refused 1 3794
9999 Don't know 113 3907
. Missing 2 3909

ECD070B - Weight at birth, ounces

Variable Name:
ECD070B
SAS Label:
Weight at birth, ounces
English Text:
How much did {SP NAME} weigh at birth?
English Instructions:
ENTER NUMBER OF OUNCES
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 15 YEARS
Hard Edits:
0 to 15
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 to 15 Range of Values 3731 3731
7777 Refused 0 3731
9999 Don't know 63 3794
. Missing 115 3909

ECQ075 - CHECK ITEM

Variable Name:
ECQ075
English Instructions:
BOX 1. CHECK ITEM ECQ.075: IF REFUSED (CODE 7777) OR DON'T KNOW (CODE 9999) TO ECD070A, CONTINUE. OTHERWISE, GO TO ECQ100.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 15 YEARS

ECQ080 - Weight more/less than 5.5 lbs

Variable Name:
ECQ080
SAS Label:
Weight more/less than 5.5 lbs
English Text:
Did {SP NAME} weigh . . .
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 15 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 More than 5-1/2 lbs. (2500 g), or 64 64
2 Less than 5-1/2 lbs. (2500 g)? 14 78 ECQ100
7 Refused 0 78 ECQ100
9 Don't know 35 113 ECQ100
. Missing 3796 3909

ECQ090 - Weight more/less than 9.0 lbs

Variable Name:
ECQ090
SAS Label:
Weight more/less than 9.0 lbs
English Text:
Did {SP NAME} weigh . . .
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 15 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 More than 9 lbs. (4100 g), or 7 7
2 Less than 9 lbs. (4100 g)? 55 62
7 Refused 0 62
9 Don't know 2 64
. Missing 3845 3909

ECQ100 - Ever attend day care or preschool

Variable Name:
ECQ100
SAS Label:
Ever attend day care or preschool
English Text:
(First/Next) I have some questions about day care and preschool. By day care I mean child care where there is more than 1 child in care in someone else's home or in a center. Did {SP} ever attend day care or preschool?
Target:
Both males and females 2 MONTHS - 15 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 2173 2173
2 No 1646 3819 FSQ121
7 Refused 0 3819 FSQ121
9 Don't know 8 3827 FSQ121
. Missing 82 3909

ECQ110 - Now attend day care or preschool

Variable Name:
ECQ110
SAS Label:
Now attend day care or preschool
English Text:
Does {SP} now attend day care or preschool?
Target:
Both males and females 2 MONTHS - 5 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 438 438
2 No 215 653
7 Refused 0 653
9 Don't know 0 653
. Missing 3256 3909

FSQ121 - Now attend headstart

Variable Name:
FSQ121
SAS Label:
Now attend headstart
English Text:
Is {SP} now attending {Head Start/Early Head Start}?
English Instructions:
CAPI INSTRUCTIONS: IF SP AGE = 0-3, DISPLAY "EARLY HEAD START". IF SP AGE = 4-5, DISPLAY "HEAD START".
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 5 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 120 120
2 No 1624 1744
7 Refused 0 1744
9 Don't know 0 1744
. Missing 2165 3909