• Component Description
• Eligible Sample
• Interview Setting and Mode of Administration
• Data Processing and Editing
• Analytic Notes
• Codebook
  • SEQN - Respondent sequence number
  • PFQ010 - Physical,mental,emotional limitations
  • PFQ015 - Able to take part in most type of play
  • PFQ020 - Crawl, walk, run, play limitations
  • PFQ030 - Long term impairment/health problem
  • PFQ035A - CHECK ITEM
  • PFQ041 - Receive Special Ed or Early Intervention
  • PFQ049 - Limitations keeping you from working
  • PFQ051 - Limited in amount of work you can do
  • PFQ054 - Need special equipment to walk
  • PFQ057 - Experience confusion/memory problems
  • PFQ058 - CHECK ITEM
  • PFQ059 - Physical, mental, emotional limitations
  • PFQ059A - CHECK ITEM
  • PFQ061A - Managing money difficulty
  • PFQ061B - Walking for a quarter mile difficulty
  • PFQ061C - Walking up ten steps difficulty
  • PFQ061D - Stooping, crouching, kneeling difficulty
  • PFQ061E - Lifting or carrying difficulty
  • PFQ061F - House chore difficulty
  • PFQ061G - Preparing meals difficulty
  • PFQ061H - Walking between rooms on same floor
  • PFQ061I - Standingup from armless chair difficulty
  • PFQ061J - Getting in and out of bed difficulty
  • PFQ061K - Using fork, knife, drinking from cup
  • PFQ061L - Dressing yourself difficulty
  • PFQ061M - Standing for long periods difficulty
  • PFQ061N - Sitting for long periods difficulty
  • PFQ061O - Reaching up over head difficulty
  • PFQ061P - Grasp/holding small objects difficulty
  • PFQ061Q - Going out to movies, events difficulty
  • PFQ061R - Attending social event difficulty
  • PFQ061S - Leisure activity at home difficulty
  • PFQ061T - Push or pull large objects difficulty
  • PFQ066A - CHECK ITEM
  • PFQ063A - Health problems causing difficulty
  • PFQ063B - Health problems causing difficulty
  • PFQ063C - Health problems causing difficulty
  • PFQ063D - Health problems causing difficulty
  • PFQ063E - Health problems causing difficulty
  • PFD069A - Arthritis or rheumatism probl, days
  • PFD069B - Back or neck problems, days
  • PFD069C - Cancer condition, days
  • PFD069D - Depression/anxiety/emotional probl, days
  • PFD069E - Other development problems, days
  • PFD069F - Diabetes condition, days
  • PFD069G - Fractures/bone/joint injury probl, days
  • PFD069H - Hearing problems, days
  • PFD069I - Heart problems, days
  • PFD069J - Hypertension or high blood pressure,days
  • PFD069K - Lung or breathing problems, days
  • PFD069L - Mental retardation condition, days
  • PFD069M - Other injury problems, days
  • PFD069N - Senility condition, days
  • PFD069O - Stroke problems, days
  • PFD069P - Vision problems, days
  • PFD069Q - Weight problems, days
  • PFD069R - Other impairment problems, days
  • PFQ090 - Require special healthcare equipment

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

2003-2004 Data Documentation, Codebook, and Frequencies

Physical Functioning (PFQ_C)

Data File: PFQ_C.xpt

First Published: December 2005

Last Revised: March 2008

Component Description

The physical function section (PFQ) provides self-reported data on functional limitations caused by long-term physical, mental, and emotional problems or illness. It can be used to assess an individual’s level of disability.

Eligible Sample

All survey participants 1 or more years of age were eligible. Participants 1 to 4 years of age were asked about play activities. Those less than 18 years of age were asked about receiving Special Education or Early Intervention Services. Respondents 1 to 19 years of age were asked about mobility (crawl, walk, run), and those 20 or more years of age were asked about their ability to work.

Interview Setting and Mode of Administration

The questions were asked in the household interview as a part of a computer-assisted personal interview (CAPI).

Data Processing and Editing

Edits were made to ensure the completeness, consistency, and analytic usefulness of the data. The number of days that a respondent reported having a condition (PFD069A-PFD069R) was originally reported as number of days, weeks, months, or years and converted to days.

Analytic Notes

Because the questions were asked in the home interview, the interview sample weights may be used in their analysis. However, if the data is joined with data from the Mobile Examination Center (MEC), the MEC sample weights should be used.

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.

Notes about specific variables and changes from previous data releases include:

PFQ041: Receive special ed or early intervention services. Called PFQ040 in the 1999–2000 data release and PFD040 in the 2001–2002 data release. The age range changed from 1–15 in the 1999–2002 data releases to 1–17 in the current data release.

PFQ049: Limitations keeping you from working. Called PFQ048 in the 1999–2002 data releases.

PFQ051: Limited in the amount of work you can do. Called PFQ050 in the 1999–2002 data releases.

PFQ054: Need special equipment to walk. Called PFQ055 in the 1999–2002 data releases.

PFQ057: Experience confusion/memory problems. Called PFQ056 in the 1999–2002 data releases.

PFQ061A-S: Difficulty doing activity because of health problem. Similar to PFQ060A-S in the 1999–2002 data releases. The only difference being the inclusion of an additional response category, “Do not do this activity”.

PFQ063A-E: Health problem causing difficulty. Called PFD067A-E in the 1999–2002 data releases.

PFD069A-R: Duration of health problem. In the 1999–2000 data release, this was released in the manner collected (i.e., number of days, weeks, months, or years) using the prefixes PFQ069 and PFD069.

Codebook and Frequencies