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 2001-02 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 2001-02 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

2001-2002 changes

Beginning in 2002, ECQ130 (hours spent away from home on a typical weekday) and ECQ140 (hours spent away from home on a typical weekend day) were no longer collected. ECQ130 and ECQ140 data from 2001 are not included in this data release file but can be accessed at the NCHS Research Data Center.

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 4337 4337
14 14 years or younger 18 4355
45 45 years or older 9 4364
7777 Refused 1 4365
9999 Don't know 40 4405
. Missing 0 4405

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 623 623
2 No 3740 4363 ECQ060
7 Refused 3 4366 ECQ060
9 Don't know 38 4404 ECQ060
. Missing 1 4405

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 249 249
2 No 359 608 ECQ060
7 Refused 0 608 ECQ060
9 Don't know 15 623 ECQ060
. Missing 3782 4405

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 60 60
2 Second month 47 107
3 Third month 51 158
4 Fourth month 26 184
5 Fifth month 23 207
6 Sixth month 15 222
7 Seventh month 8 230
8 Eighth month 8 238
9 Ninth month 6 244
77 Refused 0 244
99 Don't know 5 249
. Missing 4156 4405

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 500 500
2 No 3877 4377
7 Refused 0 4377
9 Don't know 27 4404
. Missing 1 4405

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 4257 4257
13 13 pounds or more 6 4263
7777 Refused 0 4263
9999 Don't know 141 4404
. Missing 1 4405

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 4181 4181
7777 Refused 0 4181
9999 Don't know 82 4263
. Missing 142 4405

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 89 89
2 Less than 5-1/2 lbs. (2500 g)? 16 105 ECQ100
7 Refused 0 105 ECQ100
9 Don't know 33 138 ECQ100
. Missing 4267 4405

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 3 3
2 Less than 9 lbs. (4100 g)? 79 82
7 Refused 0 82
9 Don't know 7 89
. Missing 4316 4405

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 2390 2390
2 No 1927 4317 FSQ121
7 Refused 0 4317 FSQ121
9 Don't know 4 4321 FSQ121
. Missing 84 4405

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 501 501
2 No 188 689
7 Refused 0 689
9 Don't know 0 689
. Missing 3716 4405

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 127 127
2 No 1770 1897
7 Refused 0 1897
9 Don't know 0 1897
. Missing 2508 4405