The Weight History section of the Sample Person Questionnaire (variable name prefix WHQ) provides personal interview data on several topics related to body weight, including self-perception of weight, self-reported weight over the participant’s lifetime, attempted weight loss during the past 12 months, and methods used to try to lose weight and to keep from gaining weight.
Participants aged 16 years and older were eligible. However, age to participate for some questions in this section vary. Please review the codebook carefully. Frequency counts were verified during the preparation of the file.
Trained interviewers asked these questions, in the home, using the Computer-Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) system.
For details on the administration of the Weight History (WHQ_H) section, please refer to the Weight History Sample Person Questionnaire on the NHANES website.
The CAPI system is programmed with built-in consistency checks to reduce data entry errors. CAPI also uses online help screens to assist interviewers in defining key terms used in the questionnaire.
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. When a variable was modified globally, as part of the editing process, the third letter in the variable name was changed from a Q (i.e., WHQ) to a D (i.e., WHD). For example, height data were collected as feet and inches, but standardized to inches using the conversion factors 0.3937 inches per centimeter and 12 inches per foot. Current and past self-reported weights were standardized to weight in pounds using the conversion factor 2.2046 pounds per kilogram.
Reported heights and weights, considered being physiologically implausible or the result of interviewer data entry error, were coded as “missing.”
If maximum weight (WHQ150) extended over more than one year, the interviewer recorded the most recent age at which the survey participant reported that weight.
All responses to WHQ150 (age when weighed the most) of 80 years and older were coded as ‘80’ to be consistent with the way age of the survey participant was coded in the demographic file.
Although data in this file were collected as part of the household interview, if they are merged with the MEC exam data, exam sample weights should be used for analyses.
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.
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
48 to 81 | Range of Values | 6376 | 6376 | |
7777 | Refused | 1 | 6377 | |
9999 | Don't know | 62 | 6439 | |
. | Missing | 25 | 6464 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
75 to 493 | Range of Values | 6377 | 6377 | |
7777 | Refused | 7 | 6384 | |
9999 | Don't know | 46 | 6430 | |
. | Missing | 34 | 6464 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Overweight, | 3218 | 3218 | |
2 | Underweight, or | 369 | 3587 | |
3 | About the right weight? | 2865 | 6452 | |
7 | Refused | 0 | 6452 | |
9 | Don't know | 12 | 6464 | |
. | Missing | 0 | 6464 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | More, | 581 | 581 | |
2 | Less, or | 3806 | 4387 | |
3 | Stay about the same? | 2070 | 6457 | WHD050 |
7 | Refused | 1 | 6458 | WHD050 |
9 | Don't know | 6 | 6464 | WHD050 |
. | Missing | 0 | 6464 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
75 to 559 | Range of Values | 6330 | 6330 | |
7777 | Refused | 10 | 6340 | |
9999 | Don't know | 82 | 6422 | |
. | Missing | 42 | 6464 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Yes | 788 | 788 | WHD080A |
2 | No | 450 | 1238 | |
7 | Refused | 0 | 1238 | |
9 | Don't know | 1 | 1239 | |
. | Missing | 5225 | 6464 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Yes | 2049 | 2049 | |
2 | No | 3623 | 5672 | |
7 | Refused | 0 | 5672 | |
9 | Don't know | 2 | 5674 | |
. | Missing | 790 | 6464 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
10 | Ate less food (amount) | 1693 | 1693 | |
77 | Refused | 0 | 1693 | |
99 | Don't know | 0 | 1693 | |
. | Missing | 4771 | 6464 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
11 | Switched to foods with lower calories | 883 | 883 | |
. | Missing | 5581 | 6464 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
12 | Ate less fat | 802 | 802 | |
. | Missing | 5662 | 6464 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
13 | Exercised | 1830 | 1830 | |
. | Missing | 4634 | 6464 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
14 | Skipped meals | 399 | 399 | |
. | Missing | 6065 | 6464 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
15 | Ate 'diet' foods or products | 233 | 233 | |
. | Missing | 6231 | 6464 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
16 | Used a liquid diet formula such as slimfast or optifast | 115 | 115 | |
. | Missing | 6349 | 6464 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
17 | Joined a weight loss program such as Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Tops, or Overeaters Anonymous | 114 | 114 | |
. | Missing | 6350 | 6464 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
31 | Took diet pills prescribed by a doctor | 84 | 84 | |
. | Missing | 6380 | 6464 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
32 | Took other pills, medicines, herbs, or supplements not needing a prescription | 200 | 200 | |
. | Missing | 6264 | 6464 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
33 | Took laxatives or vomited | 26 | 26 | |
. | Missing | 6438 | 6464 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
34 | Drank a lot of water | 1033 | 1033 | |
. | Missing | 5431 | 6464 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
30 | Followed a special diet | 175 | 175 | |
. | Missing | 6289 | 6464 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
41 | Ate fewer carbohydrates | 689 | 689 | |
. | Missing | 5775 | 6464 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
42 | Started to smoke or began to smoke again | 19 | 19 | |
. | Missing | 6445 | 6464 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
43 | Ate more fruits, vegetables, salads | 1121 | 1121 | |
. | Missing | 5343 | 6464 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
44 | Changed eating habits | 1022 | 1022 | |
. | Missing | 5442 | 6464 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
45 | Ate less sugar, candy, sweets | 943 | 943 | |
. | Missing | 5521 | 6464 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
46 | Ate less junk food or fast food | 996 | 996 | |
. | Missing | 5468 | 6464 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
35 | Had weight loss surgery | 15 | 15 | |
. | Missing | 6449 | 6464 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
40 | Other | 29 | 29 | |
. | Missing | 6435 | 6464 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
75 to 600 | Range of Values | 4075 | 4075 | |
7777 | Refused | 8 | 4083 | |
9999 | Don't know | 96 | 4179 | |
. | Missing | 2285 | 6464 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
55 to 600 | Range of Values | 4811 | 4811 | |
7777 | Refused | 4 | 4815 | |
9999 | Don't know | 209 | 5024 | |
. | Missing | 1440 | 6464 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
50 to 81 | Range of Values | 2678 | 2678 | |
7777 | Refused | 2 | 2680 | |
9999 | Don't know | 85 | 2765 | |
. | Missing | 3699 | 6464 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
85 to 600 | Range of Values | 6025 | 6025 | |
7777 | Refused | 9 | 6034 | |
9999 | Don't know | 69 | 6103 | |
. | Missing | 361 | 6464 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
10 to 79 | Range of Values | 5887 | 5887 | |
80 | 80 years or older | 101 | 5988 | |
77777 | Refused | 0 | 5988 | |
99999 | Don't know | 32 | 6020 | |
. | Missing | 444 | 6464 |