Table of Contents

Component Description

The Food Security section (variable name prefix FSQ) provides personal interview data on the following four topics:

1. Household food security
In the household interview, an adult responded to the U.S. Food Security Survey Module (US FSSM) questions (Bickel G, et al, 2000). There are 18 items for households with children under the age of 18 years and 10 items for households without children. Questions refer to all household members, not just NHANES participants. Three categorical household-level variables were created to characterize the overall food security status for the entire household, the adults in the household, and the children in the household. Responses to the 10 or 18 US FSSM items and the categorical data derived from these responses are released on each household participant’s record.

A question on household member’s use of emergency foods from food banks, soup kitchens, or other organizations in the last 12 month is also included in this section.

2. Individual food security
Individual-level food security items were administered to all survey participants in the households that affirmed any FSSM item during the household interview. Adult (≥ 16 years) and children (< 12 years) individual-level food security questions were administered after the 24-hour dietary recall in the Mobile Examination Center (MEC). Generally, adults responded for themselves. An adult family member responded for a child, although the child may have assisted. Adolescents (12-15 years) responded for themselves, in a private room in the MEC, using an Audio Computer-Assisted Self-Interview (ACASI) system.

Participants 16 years and older were asked 6 items about their own food security. Participants under 16 years old were asked 5 items; the question about having lost weight was not asked of this age group. Most NHANES survey questions that assess a specific aspect of food security are identical or very similar for adults, teens, and children.
In 2009-2010, minor modifications were made to the data collection instruments to further improve the clarity of the questions and to have the order of the questions consistent across age groups.

Similar to the 2005-2006 and 2007-2008 cycles, data collected separately for different age groups are combined and released as one variable for each topic; however, the actual survey instruments may differ slightly by participant age. The exact wording of the FSQ questionnaires used in the survey can be found at the NHANES website at: https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/continuousnhanes/default.aspx?BeginYear=2009.

These data are released only on the individual participant’s record.

3. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)/Food Stamp program benefits
Except for the newly introduced term, SNAP, these questions were identical as those in the 2007-2008 cycle. All SNAP/Food Stamp benefits questions were collected at the household level. One adult responded to these questions for the entire household during the household interview. Information collected included whether anyone in the household had ever received SNAP/Food Stamp benefits; whether anyone in the household received benefits in the last 12 months; time since last received benefits within last 12 months; and the amount of benefits the household received last time.

These household-level data on SNAP/Food Stamp benefits are released on all household participants’ records.

4. Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program benefits
Data collected for WIC benefits included one household-level question as well as 7 individual-level questions for participants birth to 11 years old and 3 individual-level questions for women 12-59 years old.

In the household interview, an adult responded to the question on whether anyone in the household received WIC benefits in the last 12 months. This household-level question is released on all household participants’ records. 

For children participants’ WIC benefits, information was collected on current participation, participation in the last 12 month, and total length (in months) of benefits received. Similar to previous cycles, current participation and participation in the last 12 months were ascertained for children birth to 5 years of age. Starting in 2007-2008, the target age group for the benefit length question was extended from children birth to 5 years old to birth to 11 years old. Additional information was also obtained on WIC participation during various important periods in early childhood, including prenatal, infancy, and 1-4 years old. These data were collected through adult proxy during the household interview as part of the Dietary Behavior and Nutrition questionnaire (DBQ) and released on the individual participant’s record.

For female participants 12 to 59 years old, information was collected on current WIC participation, participation in the last 12 month, and total length (in months) of benefits received. These questions were administered as part of the Reproductive Health questionnaire (RHQ) during the interview in the MEC, using the Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing-CAPI (interviewer administered) system. Due to disclosure risks, the WIC benefits data will only be publically released for women aged 20 years and above. Data for women 12-19 years old will be available in the Research Data Center (RDC) only. Please refer to the Analytic Notes section for more details.

The table in Appendix 1 provides detailed information on each of the four FSQ components described above. Appendix 2 highlights the changes in the FSQ section among the latest four release cycles.

Quality Assurance & Quality Control

The automated interview systems used in NHANES are programmed with built-in consistency checks to reduce data entry errors. Incoming FSQ data were reviewed for accuracy and completeness. NHANES staff reviewed taped interviews, traveled to field sites to observe interviews, read interviewer comments, and attended training and re-training sessions to maintain the high quality of data.

Data Processing and Editing

Frequency counts were checked, "skip" patterns were verified, and the reasonableness of question responses was reviewed. Edits were made to some variables to ensure the completeness, consistency, and analytic usefulness of the data. Edits were also made, when necessary, to address data disclosure concerns.

FSDHH, FSDAD, FSDCH (Household, adult, and child food security category)
Eighteen FSSM questions were asked of households with children under the age of 18. Ten questions were asked of households without children. Three categorical variables, each with four response levels, were created based on the number of affirmative responses for those questions. These categorical variables could be used to characterize the overall food security status for the entire household, the adults in the household, and the children in the household. The algorithms used to derive these categorical variables are described below:

FSDHH (Household food security category):

Count affirmative responses in these 18 items: FSD032a, FSD032b, FSD032c, FSD032d, FSD032e, FSD032f, FSD041, FSD052, FSD061, FSD071, FSD081, FSD092, FSD102, FSD111, FSD122, FSD132, FSD141, and FSD146. Derive the codes as the following:

1 = Household full food security: no affirmative response in any of these items.
2 = Household marginal food security: 1-2 affirmative responses.
3 = Household low food security: 3-5 affirmative responses for household without children under the age of 18; 3-7 affirmative responses for household with children
4 = Household very low food security: 6-10 affirmative responses for household without children under the age of 18; 8-18 affirmative responses for household with children

Households with children but provided no valid response to any of the questions about children’s food security were classified using the specifications for households with no child.

FSDAD (Adult food security category):

Count affirmative responses in these 10 items: FSD032a, FSD032b, FSD032c, FSD041, FSD052, FSD061, FSD071, FSD081, FSD092, and FSD102. Derive the codes as the following:

1 = Adult full food security: no affirmative response in any of these items.
2 = Adult marginal food security: 1-2 affirmative responses.
3 = Adult low food security: 3-5 affirmative responses
4 = Adult very low food security: 6-10 affirmative responses

For households without children under the age of 18, their household food security category (FSDHH) should be identical to their adult food security category (FSDAD).

FSDCH (Child food security category):

This category is only generated for households with children under the age of 18. Count affirmative responses in these 8 items: FSD032d, FSD032e, FSD032f, FSD111, FSD122, FSD132, FSD141, and FSD146. Derive the codes as the following:

1 = Child full or marginal food security: no affirmative response in any of these items.
2 = Child marginal food security: 1 affirmative response.
3 = Child low food security: 2-4 affirmative responses.
4 = Child very low food security: 5-8 affirmative responses.

Definition of FSSM affirmative response

Affirmative response for FSSM questions are defined as:

No food security categories are assigned if all or most of these items were answered as “don’t know” or “refusal.” There are 53 such records in the 2009-2010 dataset, 26 of them from households with children. These records contain missing values for FSDHH, FSDAD, and FSDCH.

FSD401, FSD411, FSD421, FSD431, FSD440, and FSD451 (Individual food security items)
In previous cycles, each of the individual food security items was collected using a single question. For example, item FSD401 was collected by the question “In the last 30 days, did you cut the size of your meals because there wasn't enough money for food?” Although the question was worded to obtain a “yes/no” answer, the requested response categories were “often,” “sometimes,” “never,” “refused,” or “don’t know”. Therefore, interviewers often had to further probe for the corresponding responses. In 2009-2010, changes were made to collect these items using two-part questions among adults (≥ 16 years) and children (< 12 years). The respondent was first asked to answer “yes” or “no” to the original question. If the respondent answered “yes,” a follow-up question “Did that happen often, sometimes or just once or twice?” was asked to ascertain the frequency. No changes were made to the instrument used for adolescents (12-15 years) because the full question, including all response categories was displayed on the self-administered computer screen to the adolescent participants.

For items FSD401, FSD411, FSD421, FSD431, and FSD440, the responses of “sometimes” and “once or twice” were collapsed into the category “sometimes” in the released variable.

For FSD451, responses other than “Never” were very rare; therefore, responses of “often” and “sometimes” were collapsed into one category “ever” in the released variable.

FSD225 (Time since last received SNAP/Food Stamp benefits) 
During the household interview, the respondent was asked to report the date that the household last received SNAP/Food Stamp benefits. A variable was then derived by calculating the number of days between the time the household last received the SNAP/Food Stamp benefit and the date of interview and released as FSD225. 

When the respondent refused to answer the question or did not know the exact date, a follow-up question (FSQ230) was asked to see whether any members of the household currently receive SNAP/Food Stamp benefits. For these households, the answer to FSQ230 was used to derive the codes 55555 (current HH FS benefits recipient, last received date unknown) and 66666 (non-current HH FS benefits recipient, last received date unknown) for variable FSD225.

FSD670ZC, FSD670ZW (Number of months the participant received WIC benefit)
This information was collected using two-part (number and unit) questions to allow respondents to report the length in either month or year. The released variables were edited to standardize the reported length to number of months.

A few responses to this item appeared unlikely (e.g., a mother or a child receiving WIC for longer than WIC regulations stipulate). Some of them may have plausible explanations for longer WIC intake (such as a mother with consecutive births/pregnancies) while others may result from recall bias. Data users need to be cautious when analyzing this information.

FSD650ZW (Women received WIC benefit in last 12 month)
Similar to previous data collection cycles, this question only asked of female participants who were pregnant at the time of interview or who had given birth in the two years period prior to the interview.

FSD660ZW (Women currently received WIC benefit)
This question only asked of female participants who received WIC benefits in the last 12 months, and were pregnant or 0-12 months postpartum at the time of interview. The postpartum screening criterion for this question is a new addition started in 2007-2008. It helps to better classify eligibility for WIC benefit.

Analytic Notes

NHANES has assessed household food security with the U.S. Food Security Survey Module (US FSSM) since 1999. Individual-level food security items for adults and children were implemented in the survey in 2000, and added for adolescents in 2005. Similar modules have been used in various surveys, including the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey (CPS) and a growing number of State, local, and regional studies, such as the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS). For more information on food security measurement, please refer to the USDA's website at: http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-us/measurement.aspx.

The NHANES household interview included two questionnaires: a sample participant questionnaire to collect information regarding each individual survey participant’s personal health status, and a family questionnaire to collect information at the family level, such as total income for the family, food availability in the family, etc. The sample participant questionnaire was answered by participants themselves (adult proxy for child under 16 years old). The family questionnaire required an adult family member, preferably the head of the family, to respond to these questions for the entire family. The information on household food security status and SNAP/Food Stamp program benefits in the FSQ section were collected as part of this family questionnaire. In 2009-2010, 67 participants had missing values to all of these items in the FSQ section because the family questionnaire was not administered. Most common reasons for missing the family questionnaire interview were: “no eligible adult respondent in the family available” or “refusal.”

The eligibility of the individual food security questions was determined by the reported household food security status. The abovementioned 67 participants who did not have food security data reported for their household were not eligible for the individual food security questions collected in the MEC. In this dataset, there were 285 participants who were eligible to the individual food security questions but did not have data in these items. Of them, 243 did not come to the MEC exam or missed the interview when they were in the exam center due to various reasons (such as arrived late/left early, refusal, illness, emergency, or equipment failure). Forty-two participants missed the individual food security questions because their family questionnaire data were collected or uploaded to the system after their examinations in the MEC.

In 2007-2008, a new sample design was implemented into the survey. All Hispanics were oversampled, not just Mexican-Americans. In addition, for each of the race/ethnicity domains, the age domains 12-15 and 16-19 were combined and the age minority domains 40-59 were split into 10-year age domains 40-49 and 50-59. This has led to an increase in the number of participants aged 40+ and a decrease in participants aged 12-19 from previous cycles. Lastly, pregnant women were no longer oversampled. Based on these changes, unweighted frequencies of certain variables may differ slightly in this survey cycle compared to survey cycles prior to 2007-2008. For further discussion, please see the Analytic Notes for the Demographic data file: https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/2009-2010/demo_f.htm.

WIC benefit information was collected for female participants aged 12-59 years in 2009-2010. This file contains all data for females 12 years and older, whereas the publicly released data set (FSQ_F) has limited information for females 12-19 years of age due to possible disclosure risks.

FSQ data were collected in the household and in the MEC. For data items collected in the household interview, the interview sample weights may be used in their analysis. However, if the data analysis requires merging of data collected in the household with data collected in the MEC, examination sample weights should be used for analyses. The recommended weights for each individual component in the FSQ section are listed in the table in Appendix 1. Please refer to the NHANES Analytic Guidelines and the on-line NHANES Tutorial for further details on the use of sample weights and other analytic issues. Both of these are available on the NHANES website.

 

References

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 - 150 YEARS

FSD032A - HH Worried run out of food

Variable Name:
FSD032A
SAS Label:
HH Worried run out of food
English Text:
Now I am going to read you several statements that people have made about their food situation. For these statements, please tell me whether the statement was often true, sometimes true, or never true for {you/your household} in the last 12 months, that is since last {DISPLAY CURRENT MONTH}. The first statement is . . . {I/we} worried whether {my/our} food would run out before {I/we} got money to buy more.
English Instructions:
Collected at household level.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Often true 1155 1155
2 Sometimes true 2184 3339
3 Never true 7068 10407
7 Refused 32 10439
9 Don't know 31 10470
. Missing 67 10537

FSD032B - HH Food didn't last

Variable Name:
FSD032B
SAS Label:
HH Food didn't last
English Text:
[The next statement is . . .] The food that {I/we} bought just didn't last, and {I/we} didn't have money to get more.
English Instructions:
Collected at household level.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Often true 916 916
2 Sometimes true 1913 2829
3 Never true 7588 10417
7 Refused 32 10449
9 Don't know 21 10470
. Missing 67 10537

FSD032C - HH Couldn't afford balanced meals

Variable Name:
FSD032C
SAS Label:
HH Couldn't afford balanced meals
English Text:
[The next statement is . . .] {I/we} couldn't afford to eat balanced meals.
English Instructions:
Collected at household level.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Often true 588 588
2 Sometimes true 1591 2179
3 Never true 8240 10419
7 Refused 29 10448
9 Don't know 22 10470
. Missing 67 10537

FSQBOX1 - CHECK ITEM

Variable Name:
FSQBOX1
English Instructions:
BOX 1. CHECK ITEM: IF RESPONSE TO FSD032 'A', 'B', or 'C' IS CODE 1 OR 2 (OFTEN TRUE OR SOMETIMES TRUE), CONTINUE. OTHERWISE, GO TO BOX 3.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS

FSD041 - HH Adults cut size or skip meals

Variable Name:
FSD041
SAS Label:
HH Adults cut size or skip meals
English Text:
In the last 12 months, since last {DISPLAY CURRENT MONTH}, did {you/you or other adults in your household} ever cut the size of your meals or skip meals because there wasn't enough money for food?
English Instructions:
Collected at household level.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 1442 1442
2 No 2253 3695 FSD061
7 Refused 3 3698 FSD061
9 Don't know 1 3699 FSD061
. Missing 6838 10537

FSD052 - HH How often adults cut size/skip meals

Variable Name:
FSD052
SAS Label:
HH How often adults cut size/skip meals
English Text:
How often did this happen?
English Instructions:
Collected at household level.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Almost every month, 483 483
2 Some months but not every month, or 691 1174
3 Only 1 or 2 months? 268 1442
7 Refused 0 1442
9 Don't know 0 1442
. Missing 9095 10537

FSD061 - HH Eat less than should

Variable Name:
FSD061
SAS Label:
HH Eat less than should
English Text:
In the last 12 months, did you ever eat less than you felt you should because there wasn't enough money to buy food?
English Instructions:
Collected at household level.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 1298 1298
2 No 2397 3695
7 Refused 3 3698
9 Don't know 1 3699
. Missing 6838 10537

FSD071 - HH Hungry, but didn't eat

Variable Name:
FSD071
SAS Label:
HH Hungry, but didn't eat
English Text:
[In the last 12 months], were you ever hungry but didn't eat because you couldn't afford enough food?
English Instructions:
Collected at household level.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 783 783
2 No 2915 3698
7 Refused 0 3698
9 Don't know 1 3699
. Missing 6838 10537

FSD081 - HH Lost weight, no money for food

Variable Name:
FSD081
SAS Label:
HH Lost weight, no money for food
English Text:
[In the last 12 months], did you lose weight because you didn't have enough money for food?
English Instructions:
Collected at household level.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 394 394
2 No 3269 3663
7 Refused 0 3663
9 Don't know 36 3699
. Missing 6838 10537

FSQBOX2 - CHECK ITEM

Variable Name:
FSQBOX2
English Instructions:
BOX 2. CHECK ITEM: IF RESPONSE TO FSD041, 061, 071, OR 081 IS CODE 1 (YES), CONTINUE. OTHERWISE GO TO BOX 3.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS

FSD092 - HH Adults not eat whole day

Variable Name:
FSD092
SAS Label:
HH Adults not eat whole day
English Text:
[In the last 12 months], did {you/you or other adults in your household} ever not eat for a whole day because there wasn't enough money for food?
English Instructions:
Collected at household level.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 378 378
2 No 1374 1752
7 Refused 0 1752
9 Don't know 0 1752
. Missing 8785 10537

FSD102 - HH How often adults not eat for day

Variable Name:
FSD102
SAS Label:
HH How often adults not eat for day
English Text:
How often did this happen? Would you say . . .
English Instructions:
Collected at household level.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Almost every month, 98 98
2 Some months but not every month, or 186 284
3 Only 1 or 2 months? 94 378
7 Refused 0 378
9 Don't know 0 378
. Missing 10159 10537

FSQBOX3 - CHECK ITEM

Variable Name:
FSQBOX3
English Instructions:
BOX 3. CHECK ITEM: IF THERE IS AT LEAST 1 CHILD IN THE HOUSEHOLD WHO IS <= 17 (OR IN THE AGE RANGE THAT INCLUDES OR IS LESS THAN THE ONE THAT INCLUDES 17), CONTINUE. OTHERWISE, GO TO FSDHH.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS

FSD032D - HH Relied on low-cost food for child

Variable Name:
FSD032D
SAS Label:
HH Relied on low-cost food for child
English Text:
[The next statement is . . .] (I/we) relied on only a few kinds of low-cost food to feed {CHILD'S NAME / THE CHILDREN} because (I was/we were) running out of money to buy food.
English Instructions:
Collected at household level.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Often true 300 300
2 Sometimes true 835 1135
3 Never true 5589 6724
7 Refused 7 6731
9 Don't know 19 6750
. Missing 3787 10537

FSD032E - HH Couldn't feed child balanced meal

Variable Name:
FSD032E
SAS Label:
HH Couldn't feed child balanced meal
English Text:
[The next statement is . . .] (I/we) couldn't feed {CHILD'S NAME / THE CHILDREN} a balanced meal, because (I/we) couldn't afford that.
English Instructions:
Collected at household level.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Often true 149 149
2 Sometimes true 589 738
3 Never true 5980 6718
7 Refused 13 6731
9 Don't know 19 6750
. Missing 3787 10537

FSD032F - HH Child not eating enough

Variable Name:
FSD032F
SAS Label:
HH Child not eating enough
English Text:
[The next statement is . . .] {CHILD'S NAME WAS /THE CHILDREN WERE} not eating enough because (I/we) just couldn't afford enough food.
English Instructions:
Collected at household level.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Often true 97 97
2 Sometimes true 326 423
3 Never true 6295 6718
7 Refused 13 6731
9 Don't know 19 6750
. Missing 3787 10537

FSQBOX4 - CHECK ITEM

Variable Name:
FSQBOX4
English Instructions:
BOX 4. CHECK ITEM: IF RESPONSE TO FSD032 'D', 'E', or 'F' IS CODE 1 OR 2 (OFTEN TRUE OR SOMETIMES TRUE)(AFFIRMATIVE), CONTINUE. OTHERWISE, GO TO FSDHH.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS

FSD111 - HH Cut size of child meals

Variable Name:
FSD111
SAS Label:
HH Cut size of child meals
English Text:
In the last 12 months, since {DISPLAY CURRENT MONTH} of last year, did you ever cut the size of {CHILD'S NAME's/any of the children's} meals because there wasn't enough money for food?
English Instructions:
Collected at household level.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 219 219
2 No 1004 1223
7 Refused 0 1223
9 Don't know 0 1223
. Missing 9314 10537

FSD122 - HH Child skip meals

Variable Name:
FSD122
SAS Label:
HH Child skip meals
English Text:
[In the last 12 months], did {CHILD'S NAME/any of the children} ever skip meals because there wasn't enough money for food?
English Instructions:
Collected at household level.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 77 77
2 No 1146 1223 FSD141
7 Refused 0 1223 FSD141
9 Don't know 0 1223 FSD141
. Missing 9314 10537

FSD132 - HH How often child skip meals

Variable Name:
FSD132
SAS Label:
HH How often child skip meals
English Text:
How often did this happen?
English Instructions:
Collected at household level.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Almost every month, 6 6
2 Some months but not every month, or 42 48
3 Only 1 or 2 months? 29 77
7 Refused 0 77
9 Don't know 0 77
. Missing 10460 10537

FSD141 - HH Child hungry in last 12 months

Variable Name:
FSD141
SAS Label:
HH Child hungry in last 12 months
English Text:
In the last 12 months, {was CHILD'S NAME/were the children} ever hungry but you just couldn't afford more food?
English Instructions:
Collected at household level.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 105 105
2 No 1118 1223
7 Refused 0 1223
9 Don't know 0 1223
. Missing 9314 10537

FSD146 - HH Child not eat whole day

Variable Name:
FSD146
SAS Label:
HH Child not eat whole day
English Text:
[In the last 12 months], did {CHILD'S NAME/any of the children} ever not eat for a whole day because there wasn't enough money for food?
English Instructions:
Collected at household level.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 6 6
2 No 1217 1223
7 Refused 0 1223
9 Don't know 0 1223
. Missing 9314 10537

FSDHH - Household food security category

Variable Name:
FSDHH
SAS Label:
Household food security category
English Text:
Household food security category for last 12 months
English Instructions:
Calculated at household level.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 HH full food security: 0 6657 6657
2 HH marginal food security: 1-2 1351 8008
3 HH low food security: 3-5 (HH w/o child) / 3-7 (HH w/ child) 1567 9575
4 HH very low food security: 6-10 (HH w/o child) / 8-18 (HH w/ child) 842 10417
. Missing 120 10537

FSDAD - Adult food security category

Variable Name:
FSDAD
SAS Label:
Adult food security category
English Text:
Adult food security category for last 12 months
English Instructions:
Calculated at household level.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 AD full food security: 0 6721 6721
2 AD marginal food security: 1-2 1431 8152
3 AD low food security: 3-5 1274 9426
4 AD very low food security: 6-10 991 10417
. Missing 120 10537

FSDCH - Child food security category

Variable Name:
FSDCH
SAS Label:
Child food security category
English Text:
Child food security category for last 12 months
English Instructions:
Calculated at household level. Only applies if there is at least one child 17 years old or less in the household.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 CH full or marginal food security: 0 5501 5501
2 CH marginal food security: 1 471 5972
3 CH low food security: 2-4 661 6633
4 CH very low food security: 5-8 91 6724
. Missing 3813 10537

FSD151 - HH Emergency food received

Variable Name:
FSD151
SAS Label:
HH Emergency food received
English Text:
In the last 12 months, did {you/you or any member of your household} ever get emergency food from a church, a food pantry, or a food bank, or eat in a soup kitchen?
English Instructions:
Collected at household level.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 1240 1240
2 No 9183 10423
7 Refused 28 10451
9 Don't know 19 10470
. Missing 67 10537

FSQBOX5 - CHECK ITEM

Variable Name:
FSQBOX5
English Instructions:
BOX 5. CHECK ITEM: IF THE RESPONSE TO FSD032 'A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E' or 'F' IS 'OFTEN TRUE' (CODE 1) OR 'SOMETIMES TRUE' (CODE 2), OR 'REFUSE' (CODE 7), OR 'DON'T KNOW' (CODE 9) CONTINUE. OTHERWISE, GO TO FSQ165.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS

FSD401 - Meal size cut

Variable Name:
FSD401
SAS Label:
Meal size cut
English Text:
In the last 30 days, {did you cut the size of (your/ child's name) meals/ was the size of your meals cut} because {there wasn't/ your family didn't have} enough money for food?
English Instructions:
Collected at individual level in the MEC interview.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Often 124 124
2 Sometimes 551 675
3 Never 2817 3492
7 Refused 2 3494
9 Don't know 11 3505
. Missing 7032 10537

FSD421 - Ate less than should

Variable Name:
FSD421
SAS Label:
Ate less than should
English Text:
In the last the last 30 days, did {you/ child's name} eat less than you {felt/ thought} {you/she/he} should because {there wasn't/your family didn't have} enough money for food?
English Instructions:
Collected at individual level in the MEC interview.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Often 95 95
2 Sometimes 465 560
3 Never 2931 3491
7 Refused 2 3493
9 Don't know 12 3505
. Missing 7032 10537

FSD431 - Hungry

Variable Name:
FSD431
SAS Label:
Hungry
English Text:
In the last 30 days, {were you/ was child's name} hungry but {didn't eat because (you couldn't afford/ your family didn't have) enough food/ you just couldn't afford more food}?
English Instructions:
Collected at individual level in the MEC interview.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Often 53 53
2 Sometimes 238 291
3 Never 3201 3492
7 Refused 2 3494
9 Don't know 11 3505
. Missing 7032 10537

FSD411 - Skipped meals

Variable Name:
FSD411
SAS Label:
Skipped meals
English Text:
In the last 30 days, did {you/ child's NAME} skip {meals/ a meal} because {there wasn't/ your family didn't have} enough money for food?
English Instructions:
Collected at individual level in the MEC interview.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Often 49 49
2 Sometimes 270 319
3 Never 3169 3488
7 Refused 7 3495
9 Don't know 10 3505
. Missing 7032 10537

FSD440 - Lost weight

Variable Name:
FSD440
SAS Label:
Lost weight
English Text:
In the last 30 days, did you lose weight because you did not have enough money for food?
English Instructions:
Collected at individual level in the MEC interview.
Target:
Both males and females 16 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 106 106
2 No 1884 1990
7 Refused 4 1994
9 Don't know 47 2041
. Missing 8496 10537

FSQBOX6 - CHECK ITEM

Variable Name:
FSQBOX6
English Instructions:
BOX 6. CHECK ITEM: IF (FSD401 OR FSD411 OR FSD421 OR FSD431 = 1or 2) OR IF (FSD440=1), CONTINUE; OTHERWISE, GO TO FSQ165.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS

FSD451 - Not eat whole day

Variable Name:
FSD451
SAS Label:
Not eat whole day
English Text:
In the last 30 days, did {you/ child's name} not eat for a whole day because {there wasn't/ your family didn't have} enough money for food?
English Instructions:
Collected at individual level in the MEC interview.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Ever 95 95
2 Never 742 837
7 Refused 0 837
9 Don't know 0 837
. Missing 9700 10537

FSQ165 - HH FS benefit: ever received

Variable Name:
FSQ165
SAS Label:
HH FS benefit: ever received
English Text:
The next questions are about the Food Stamp Program. Food stamps are usually provided on an electronic debit card {or EBT card} {called the {{STATE NAME FOR EBT CARD}} card in {{STATE}}}. Have {you/you or anyone in your household} ever received Food Stamp benefits?
English Instructions:
Collected at household level.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 3329 3329
2 No 7092 10421 FSQ162
7 Refused 28 10449 FSQ162
9 Don't know 21 10470 FSQ162
. Missing 67 10537

FSQ171 - HH FS benefit: receive in last 12 months

Variable Name:
FSQ171
SAS Label:
HH FS benefit: receive in last 12 months
English Text:
In the last 12 months, did {you/you or any member of your household} receive Food Stamp benefits?
English Instructions:
Collected at household level.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 2733 2733
2 No 591 3324 FSQ162
7 Refused 3 3327 FSQ162
9 Don't know 2 3329 FSQ162
. Missing 7208 10537

FSD225 - HH FS benefit: time since last received

Variable Name:
FSD225
SAS Label:
HH FS benefit: time since last received
English Text:
Number of days between the time the household last received Food Stamp benefit and the date of interview.
English Instructions:
Calculated at household level.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 to 371 Range of Values 2625 2625
55555 Current HH FS benefits recipient, last received date unknown 64 2689
66666 Non-current HH FS benefits recipient, last received date unknown 30 2719
77777 Refused 6 2725
99999 Don't know 8 2733
. Missing 7804 10537

FSQ235 - HH FS benefit: amount received last time

Variable Name:
FSQ235
SAS Label:
HH FS benefit: amount received last time
English Text:
How much did {you/your household} receive in food stamp benefits the last time you got them? ENTER DOLLAR AMOUNT.
English Instructions:
Collected at household level.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
8 to 2009 Range of Values 2634 2634
77777 Refused 25 2659
99999 Don't know 74 2733
. Missing 7804 10537

FSQBOX7 - CHECK ITEM

Variable Name:
FSQBOX7
English Instructions:
BOX 7. CHECK ITEM: IF THERE IS AT LEAST 1 CHILD IN THE HOUSEHOLD WHO IS 0-5 YEARS OLD OR THERE IS A FEMALE IN THE HOUSEHOLD WHO IS BETWEEN 12 AND 59 YEARS OLD, CONTINUE. OTHERWISE, GO TO BOX 8.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS

FSQ162 - HH WIC benefit: receive in last 12 month

Variable Name:
FSQ162
SAS Label:
HH WIC benefit: receive in last 12 month
English Text:
In the last 12 months, did {you/you or any member of your household} receive benefits from the WIC program, that is, the Women, Infants and Children program?
English Instructions:
Collected at household level.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 2056 2056
2 No 6323 8379
7 Refused 20 8399
9 Don't know 23 8422
. Missing 2115 10537

FSQBOX8 - CHECK ITEM

Variable Name:
FSQBOX8
English Instructions:
BOX 8. CHECK ITEM: IF THE RESPONDENT AGE BETWEEN 0-5 YEARS, GO TO FSD650ZC. IF THE RESPONDENT AGE BETWEEN 6-11 YEARS, GO TO FSD675. IF THE RESPONDENT IS FEMALE AND AGE IS 12 YEARS OR OLDER, GO TO BOX9. OTHERWISE, GO TO END OF SECTION.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS

FSD650ZC - CH WIC benefit: receive in last 12 month

Variable Name:
FSD650ZC
SAS Label:
CH WIC benefit: receive in last 12 month
English Text:
Did {SP} receive benefits from WIC, that is, the Women, Infants, and Children program, in the past 12 months?
English Instructions:
Collected at individual level in the household interview.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 5 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 1001 1001
2 No 720 1721 FSD675
7 Refused 1 1722 FSD675
9 Don't know 1 1723 FSD675
. Missing 8814 10537

FSD660ZC - CH WIC benefit: currently receive

Variable Name:
FSD660ZC
SAS Label:
CH WIC benefit: currently receive
English Text:
Is {SP} now receiving benefits from the WIC program?
English Instructions:
Collected at individual level in the household interview.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 5 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 777 777
2 No 223 1000
7 Refused 0 1000
9 Don't know 1 1001
. Missing 9536 10537

FSD675 - CH WIC benefit: received in infancy

Variable Name:
FSD675
SAS Label:
CH WIC benefit: received in infancy
English Text:
{Next are a few questions about the WIC program, that is, the Women, Infants, and Children program} Did {SP} receive benefits from WIC when {he/she} was less than one year old?
English Instructions:
Collected at individual level in the household interview.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 11 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 1915 1915
2 No 1039 2954
7 Refused 1 2955
9 Don't know 23 2978
. Missing 7559 10537

FSD680 - CH WIC benefit: received b/w 1-4 yrs old

Variable Name:
FSD680
SAS Label:
CH WIC benefit: received b/w 1-4 yrs old
English Text:
Did {SP} receive benefits from WIC when {he/she} {was/is} between the ages of 1 to {SP AGE} years old?
English Instructions:
Collected at individual level in the household interview.
Target:
Both males and females 1 YEARS - 11 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 1516 1516
2 No 1003 2519
7 Refused 1 2520
9 Don't know 31 2551
. Missing 7986 10537

FSD670ZC - CH WIC benefit: # of months received

Variable Name:
FSD670ZC
SAS Label:
CH WIC benefit: # of months received
English Text:
How long {did SP receive/has SP been receiving} benefits from the WIC program?
English Instructions:
Collected at individual level in the household interview.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 11 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 to 72 Range of Values 2951 2951
777 Refused 1 2952
999 Don't know 27 2979
. Missing 7558 10537

FSQ690 - CH WIC benefit: Mom received while preg.

Variable Name:
FSQ690
SAS Label:
CH WIC benefit: Mom received while preg.
English Text:
Did {SP's} mother receive benefits from WIC, while she was pregnant with {SP}?
English Instructions:
Collected at individual level in the household interview.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 11 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 1702 1702
2 No 1228 2930 End of Section
7 Refused 2 2932 End of Section
9 Don't know 47 2979 End of Section
. Missing 7558 10537

FSQ695 - CH WIC benefit: starting month of preg.

Variable Name:
FSQ695
SAS Label:
CH WIC benefit: starting month of preg.
English Text:
What month of the pregnancy did {SP's} mother begin to receive WIC benefits?
English Instructions:
Collected at individual level in the household interview.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 11 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 to 9 Range of Values 1640 1640
77 Refused 1 1641
99 Don't know 61 1702
. Missing 8835 10537

FSQBOX9 - CHECK ITEM

Variable Name:
FSQBOX9
English Instructions:
BOX 9. CHECK ITEM: IF PARTICIPANT CURRENTLY PREGNANT (CODED '1' IN RHD143), CONTINUE WITH FSD650ZW. IF THE AGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PARTICIPANT'S CURRENT AGE AND AGE REPORTED IN RHD190 IS ZERO, 1, OR 2, CONTINUE WITH FSD650ZW. ELSE IF RHD190 IS MISSING AND THE AGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PARTICIPANT'S CURRENT AGE AND AGE REPORTED IN RHD173 IS ZERO, 1, OR 2, CONTINUE WITH FSD650ZW. OTHERWISE, GO TO END OF SECTION. NOTE: RHD 143, RHD190, AND RHD173 ARE REPORTED AT THE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SECTION (RHQ).
Target:
Females only 12 YEARS - 150 YEARS

FSD650ZW - WM WIC benefit: receive in last 12 month

Variable Name:
FSD650ZW
SAS Label:
WM WIC benefit: receive in last 12 month
English Text:
These next questions are about participation in programs for women with young children. Did {you/SP} personally receive benefits from WIC, that is, the Women, Infants, and Children Program, in the past 12 months?
English Instructions:
Collected at individual level in the MEC interview.
Target:
Females only 12 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 181 181
2 No 121 302 End of Section
7 Refused 0 302 End of Section
9 Don't know 0 302 End of Section
. Missing 10235 10537

FSQBOX10 - CHECK ITEM

Variable Name:
FSQBOX10
English Instructions:
BOX 10. CHECK ITEM: IF CODED '1-12' IN RHQ197, CONTINUE WITH FSD660ZW. IF PARTICIPANT CURRENTLY PREGNANT (CODED '1') IN RHD143, CONTINUE WITH FSD660ZW. OTHERWISE, GO TO END OF SECTION. NOTE: RHD 143 AND RHQ197 ARE REPORTED AT THE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SECTION (RHQ).
Target:
Females only 12 YEARS - 150 YEARS

FSD660ZW - WM WIC benefit: currently receive

Variable Name:
FSD660ZW
SAS Label:
WM WIC benefit: currently receive
English Text:
{Are you/Is SP} now receiving benefits from the WIC Program?
English Instructions:
Collected at individual level in the MEC interview.
Target:
Females only 12 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 91 91
2 No 11 102
7 Refused 0 102
9 Don't know 0 102
. Missing 10435 10537

FSD670ZW - WM WIC benefit: # of months received

Variable Name:
FSD670ZW
SAS Label:
WM WIC benefit: # of months received
English Text:
Thinking about {your/SP's} {pregnancy/recent pregnancy/most recent pregnancy/most recent pregnancies}, how long {did you receive/have you been receiving/did she receive/has she been receiving} benefits from the WIC Program?
English Instructions:
Collected at individual level in the MEC interview.
Target:
Females only 12 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 to 60 Range of Values 101 101
777 Refused 0 101
999 Don't know 1 102
. Missing 10435 10537

Appendix 1

Components of the Food Security (FSQ) section in 2009-2010
Component Data Collection Details Recommended Weights Variable Name Target: Gender Age Label
Household Food Security Food Security (FSQ)  
Family Interview

Household level

 

Interview FSD032A MF(0-150) HH Worried run out of food
FSD032B MF(0-150) HH Food didn't last
FSD032C MF(0-150) HH Couldn't afford balanced meals
FSD041 MF(0-150) HH Adults cut size or skip meals
FSD052 MF(0-150) HH How often adults cut size/skip meals
FSD061 MF(0-150) HH Eat less than should
FSD071 MF(0-150) HH Hungry, but didn't eat
FSD081 MF(0-150) HH Lost weight, no money for food
FSD092 MF(0-150) HH Adults not eat whole day
FSD102 MF(0-150) HH How often adults not eat for day
FSD032D MF(0-150) HH Relied on low-cost food for child
FSD032E MF(0-150) HH Couldn't feed child balanced meal
FSD032F MF(0-150) HH Child not eating enough
FSD111 MF(0-150) HH Cut size of child meals
FSD122 MF(0-150) HH Child skip meals
FSD132 MF(0-150) HH How often child skip meals
FSD141 MF(0-150) HH Child hungry in last 12 months
FSD146 MF(0-150) HH Child not eat whole day
FSDHH MF(0-150) Household food security category
FSDAD MF(0-150) Adult food security category
FSDCH MF(0-150) Child food security category
FSD151 MF(0-150) HH Emergency food received
Individual Food Security Dietary Post Recall (DRX) Mobile Exam Center (MEC)

Food Security (FSQ)-ACASI Mobile Exam Center (MEC) 

Individual level

 

MEC FSD401 MF(0-150) Meal size cut
FSD411 MF(0-150) Skipped meals
FSD421 MF(0-150) Ate less than should
FSD431 MF(0-150) Hungry
FSQ440 MF(16-150) Lost weight
FSD451 MF(0-150) Not eat whole day
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)/Food Stamp Program Benefits Food Security (FSQ)  
Family Interview


Household level
Interview FSQ165 MF(0-150) HH FS benefit: ever received
FSQ171 MF(0-150) HH FS benefit: receive in last 12 months
FSD225 MF(0-150) HH FS benefit: time since last received
FSQ235 MF(0-150) HH FS benefit: amount received last time
Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program Benefits Food Security (FSQ)  
Family Interview


Household level
Interview FSQ162 MF(0-150) HH WIC benefit: receive in last 12 month
Diet Behavior (DBQ)
Household Interview


Individual level
Interview FSD650ZC MF(0-5) CH WIC benefit: receive in last 12 month
FSD660ZC MF(0-5) CH WIC benefit: currently receive
FSD675 MF(0-11) CH WIC benefit: received in infancy
FSD680 MF(1-11) CH WIC benefit: received b/w 1-4 yrs old
FSD670ZC MF(0-11) CH WIC benefit: # of months received
FSQ690 MF(0-11) CH WIC benefit: Mom received while preg.
FSQ695 MF(0-11) CH WIC benefit: starting month of preg.
Reproductive Health (RHQ)
Mobile Exam Center (MEC)


Individual level
MEC FSD650ZW F(12-59) WM WIC benefit: SP receive in last 12 month
FSD660ZW F(12-59) WM WIC benefit: SP currently receive
FSD670ZW F(12-59) WM WIC benefit: # of months SP received

Appendix 2

Changes in the FSQ section among the latest four release cycles
Item 2003-2004 2005-2006 2007-2008 2009-2010
Eligible sample for household food security questions Households with income equal or less than 4 times the Department of Health and Human Services’ poverty guidelines All households All households All households
Codes for child food security category (FSDCH) 1=CH food quality & quantity unaffected
2=CH reduced food quality or quantity
3=CH reduced food quality and quantity
4=CH severely reduced food quality and quantity
No changes from 2003-2004 Modified labels as:
1=CH full or marginal food security
2=CH marginal food security
3=CH low food security
4=CH very low food security
No changes from 2007-2008
Individual food security questions for 0-11 years old Collected and released 6 items; 5 of them were categorical variables with response options "yes" or "no"; 1 follow-up question on number of days the child skipped a meal. Collected and released 5 items; dropped follow-up question on number of days the child skipped a meal; modified response options for categorical variables as "often", "sometimes", "never". Collected and released 5 items; no changes from 2005-2006. Released 5 items same as 2007-2008. The order of the questions was modified to make it consistent across age groups; modified response options to "yes" or "no" then followed affirmative answer with a frequency question "Did that happen often, sometimes or just once or twice?"
Individual food security questions for 16+ years old Collected and released 7 items; 5 of them were categorical variables with response options "yes" or "no"; 2 follow-up questions on number of days the participant skipped meals and days participant did not eat the whole day.
Collected and released 6 items; dropped follow-up questions on number of days the participant skipped meals and days participant did not eat the whole day; separated the question of cut the meal size and skipped meals into 2 questions; modified response options for categorical variables as "often", "sometimes", "never". Collected and released 6 items; no changes from 2005-2006. Released 5 items same as 2007-2008. The order of the questions was modified to make it consistent across age groups; modified response options to "yes" or "no" then followed affirmative answer with a frequency question "Did that happen often, sometimes or just once or twice?"
Individual food security questions for 12-15 years old Not collected Collected and released 5 items similar to questions for children 0-11 years old. Collected and released 5 items; no changes from 2005-2006. No changes from 2007-2008
Household members ever received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program(SNAP)/Food Stamp (FS) benefits Not collected Not collected Collected and released for all households No changes from 2007-2008, except including the term “Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program(SNAP)” in the questionnaire
Household members received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program(SNAP)/Food Stamp (FS) benefits in the last 12 months Collected as "any household members authorized to receive Food Stamps". No changes from 2003-2004 Collected as "any household members received FS benefits"; the word "authorized" was no longer used. No changes from 2007-2008, except including the term SNAP in the questionnaire
Time since last received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program(SNAP)/Food Stamp (FS) benefits Not collected Not collected Collected and released for all households with member(s) who received FS benefits in the last 12 months. No changes from 2007-2008, except including the term SNAP in the questionnaire
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program(SNAP)/Food Stamp (FS) benefit amount received last time Not collected Collected and released in 2 separate items; benefit received in last month for households with current FS participant(s); benefit received last time for households with no current participant but had received benefits in the last 12 months. Collected and released 1 item for all households with member(s) who received FS benefits in the last 12 months. No changes from 2007-2008, except including the term SNAP in the questionnaire
Individual level questions on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program(SNAP)/Food Stamp (FS) benefits in the last 12 months 3 items collected for all household members but only released data on survey participants: whether authorized to receive FS benefits; the length of the benefits authorized in the last 12 months; current participation. No changes from 2003-2004. Not collected Not collected
Number of people in the household authorized to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Derived from individual level FS questions collected from all household members. No changes from 2003-2004. Not collected Not collected
Child received WIC benefits in infancy Not collected Not collected Collected and released for children 0-11 years old. No changes from 2007-2008
Child received WIC benefits between 1 to 4 years old Not collected Not collected Collected and released for children 0-11 years old. No changes from 2007-2008
Total number of months the child received WIC benefits Collected and released for children 0-5 years old. Collected and released for children 0-5 years old. Collected and released for children 0-11 years old. No changes from 2007-2008
Mom received WIC benefits while pregnant with the child participant Not collected Not collected Collected and released for children 0-11 years old; also included an item for the month of pregnancy that mom started to receive WIC benefits. No changes from 2007-2008
WIC benefits questions for women Collected and released for women 12-59 years old. Collected and released for women 12-59 years old. Collected for women 12-59 years old, but only publically released for 20-59 years old due to disclosure risks. No changes from 2007-2008
Women currently receive WIC benefits Collected for female participants who received WIC benefits in the last 12 month. Collected for female participants who received WIC benefits in the last 12 month. Collected for female participants who received WIC benefits in the last 12 month, and were pregnant or 0-12 months postpartum at the time of interview. No changes from 2007-2008