National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

The Balance Questionnaire (variable name prefix BAQ) provides sample person interview data on the self-reported prevalence of balance, dizziness, and falls. This is of importance because of the increasing morbidity and mortality associated with balance disorders among older persons in the U.S.

Topics included in the section include:

• 1-month period prevalence of dizziness, balance problems, and falls;
• duration of the balance problems listed above;
• self-reported reason for balance or dizziness problem;
• history of medical treatment for balance/dizziness, type, and outcome;
• family history of balance, dizziness or falling problem.

All sample persons 40 years of age and older were asked these questions. There were no exclusions for this questionnaire segment.

A trained household interviewer administrated these questions to the survey participant during the household interview. The information was recorded using a computer-assisted personal interview (CAPI) system. Some of the questions in the VIQ section required the use of printed hand cards. When necessary, the household interviewers read the hand card selections to the respondent.

Balance questionnaire data was systematically reviewed for logical, processing and data input errors on a periodic basis during the process of data collection.

The computer CAPI system had built-in consistency checks, online information screens that provided the interviewers with information about the terms used in the questionnaires, and hard and soft edit checks to reduce the number of keying entry errors. All of the interviews were reviewed by the NHANES field office staff for accuracy and completeness.

Additional details describing the quality assurance/quality control processes are provided in the survey procedures manuals.

The 2003–2004 Balance Questionnaire data were verified prior to public release.

Balance data analysis is complex and requires knowledge of the specialty content area for valid results to be obtained. If an analyst does not have professional experience in this area, it is recommended that specialty consultation be obtained to help formulate and review the results of the analysis.

Full sample interview weights should be employed if BAQ statistical analysis involves only NHANES questionnaire data. Although these data were collected as a part of the household questionnaire, if they are merged with NHANES MEC data, MEC examination sample weights should be used for the analysis.
All the questions in the current NHANES balance questionnaire were newly developed for this survey in consultation with expert consultants from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communications Disorders (NIDCD).

Balance Physical Examination data are found in the Balance Section of the NHANES 2003–2004 Examination Files.

Please refer to the Analytic Guidelines for further details on the use of sample weights and other analytic issues at https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/analyticguidelines.aspx.

The BAQ data are publicly available at www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes.htm.