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, the proxy’s assessment of the participant’s weight, and attendance at Head Start. 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_D) section, please refer to the NHANES 2005-06 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 2005-06 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 under 14 year was coded as 14 years and younger. This was done to protect the confidentiality of participants.

Analytic Notes

2005-06 changes

WHQ030e (Do you consider {SP} now to be overweight, underweight, or about the right weight?), MCQ080e (Has a doctor or health professional ever told you that {SP} was overweight?), and ECQ150 (Are you now doing anything to help {SP} control {his/her} weight?) are new to the ECQ section. Proxy responses to WHQ030e for survey participants 8-15 years of age can be compared with responses to WHQ030m, by the survey participants themselves, in the WHQMEC questionnaire section. MCQ080e for ages 2-15 years was moved from the Medical Conditions questionnaire section.

Questions on attendance at day care and preschool (ECQ100 and ECQ110) were dropped.

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 4143 4143
14 14 years or younger 16 4159
7777 Refused 0 4159
9999 Don't know 48 4207
. Missing 2 4209

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 564 564
2 No 3599 4163 ECQ060
7 Refused 0 4163 ECQ060
9 Don't know 44 4207 ECQ060
. Missing 2 4209

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 214 214
2 No 329 543 ECQ060
7 Refused 1 544 ECQ060
9 Don't know 20 564 ECQ060
. Missing 3645 4209

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 57 57
2 Second month 30 87
3 Third month 39 126
4 Fourth month 27 153
5 Fifth month 13 166
6 Sixth month 16 182
7 Seventh month 14 196
8 Eighth month 9 205
9 Ninth month 3 208
77 Refused 0 208
99 Don't know 6 214
. Missing 3995 4209

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 555 555
2 No 3622 4177
7 Refused 0 4177
9 Don't know 30 4207
. Missing 2 4209

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 4071 4071
13 13 pounds or more 4 4075
7777 Refused 1 4076
9999 Don't know 131 4207
. Missing 2 4209

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 4028 4028
7777 Refused 0 4028
9999 Don't know 47 4075
. Missing 134 4209

ECQ075 - CHECK ITEM

Variable Name:
ECQ075
English Instructions:
BOX 1. CHECK ITEM: IF REFUSED (CODE 7777) OR DON'T KNOW (CODE 9999) TO ECD070A, CONTINUE; OTHERWISE, GO TO ECQ095 (BOX 2).
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 81 81
2 Less than 5-1/2 lbs. (2500 g)? 20 101 ECQ095
7 Refused 0 101 ECQ095
9 Don't know 31 132 ECQ095
. Missing 4077 4209

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 6 6
2 Less than 9 lbs. (4100 g)? 70 76
7 Refused 0 76
9 Don't know 5 81
. Missing 4128 4209

ECQ095 - CHECK ITEM

Variable Name:
ECQ095
English Instructions:
BOX 2. CHECK ITEM ECQ095: IF SP AGE = 2-15 YEARS CONTINUE; OTHERWISE, GO TO BOX 3 (ECQ115).
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 15 YEARS

WHQ030E - How do you consider your weight

Variable Name:
WHQ030E
SAS Label:
How do you consider your weight
English Text:
Do you consider {SP} now to be . . .
Target:
Both males and females 2 YEARS - 15 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Overweight, 493 493
2 Underweight, or 231 724
3 About the right weight? 2594 3318
7 Refused 0 3318
9 Don't know 4 3322
. Missing 887 4209

MCQ080E - Doctor told you that {SP} was overweight

Variable Name:
MCQ080E
SAS Label:
Doctor told you that {SP} was overweight
English Text:
Has a doctor or health professional ever told you that {SP} was overweight?
Target:
Both males and females 2 YEARS - 15 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 323 323
2 No 2998 3321 ECQ115
7 Refused 0 3321 ECQ115
9 Don't know 1 3322 ECQ115
. Missing 887 4209

ECQ150 - Doing anything to help control weight?

Variable Name:
ECQ150
SAS Label:
Doing anything to help control weight?
English Text:
Are you now doing anything to help {SP} control {his/her} weight?
Target:
Both males and females 2 YEARS - 15 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 232 232
2 No 91 323
7 Refused 0 323
9 Don't know 0 323
. Missing 3886 4209

ECQ115 - CHECK ITEM

Variable Name:
ECQ115
English Instructions:
BOX 3. CHECK ITEM ECQ115: IF SP AGE = 0-5, CONTINUE. OTHERWISE, GO TO END OF SECTION.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 15 YEARS

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 212 212
2 No 1721 1933
7 Refused 0 1933
9 Don't know 2 1935
. Missing 2274 4209