• Component Description
• Eligible Sample
• Interview Setting and Mode of Administration
• Quality Assurance & Quality Control
• Data Processing and Editing
• Analytic Notes
• Codebook
  • SEQN - Respondent sequence number
  • WHD010 - Current self-reported height (inches)
  • WHD020 - Current self-reported weight (pounds)
  • WHQ030 - How do you consider your weight
  • WHQ040 - Like to weigh more, less or same
  • WHD045 - How much would like to weigh (pounds)
  • WHD050 - Self-reported weight - 1 yr ago (pounds)
  • WHQ055 - CHECK ITEM
  • WHQ060 - Weight change intentional
  • WHQ070 - Tried to lose weight in past year
  • WHD080A - Ate less to lose weight
  • WHD080B - Switched to foods with lower calories
  • WHD080C - Ate less fat to lose weight
  • WHD080D - Exercised to lose weight
  • WHD080E - Skipped meals
  • WHD080F - Ate diet foods or products
  • WHD080G - Used a liquid diet formula
  • WHD080H - Joined a weight loss program
  • WHD080I - Took prescription diet pills
  • WHD080J - Took non-RX suppl. to lose weight
  • WHD080K - Took laxatives or vomited
  • WHD080L - Other
  • WHD080M - Drank a lot of water
  • WHD080N - Followed a special diet
  • WHD080O - Ate fewer carbohydrates
  • WHD080P - Started to smoke or began to smoke again
  • WHD080Q - Ate more fruits, vegetables, salads
  • WHD080R - Changed eating habits
  • WHD080S - Ate less sugar, candy, sweets
  • WHQ270 - Seek help from a health professional
  • WHQ280A - Personal trainer
  • WHQ280B - Dietitian
  • WHQ280C - Nutritionist
  • WHQ280D - Doctor
  • WHQ280E - Other health professional
  • WHQ185 - CHECK ITEM
  • WHQ090 - Tried not to gain weight in past year
  • WHD100A - Ate less food
  • WHD100B - Switched to foods with lower calories
  • WHD100C - Ate less fat
  • WHD100D - Exercised
  • WHD100E - Skipped meals
  • WHD100F - Ate diet foods or products
  • WHD100G - Used liquid diet formula
  • WHD100J - Took non-prescription diet pills
  • WHD100L - Other
  • WHD100M - Drank a lot of water
  • WHD100N - Followed a special diet
  • WHD100O - Ate fewer carbohydrates
  • WHD100P - Started to smoke or began to smoke again
  • WHD100Q - Ate more fruits, vegetables, salads
  • WHD100R - Changed eating habits
  • WHD100S - Ate less sugar, candy, sweets
  • WHQ210 - Ever tried to lose weight
  • WHD220 - Weight loss most successful (pounds)
  • WHQ105 - CHECK ITEM
  • WHD110 - Self-reported weight-10 yrs ago (pounds)
  • WHQ115a - CHECK ITEM
  • WHD120 - Self-reported weight-age 25 (pounds)
  • WHQ125 - CHECK ITEM
  • WHD130 - Self-reported height - age 25 (inches)
  • WHD140 - Self-reported greatest weight (pounds)
  • WHQ150 - Age when heaviest weight

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

2007-2008 Data Documentation, Codebook, and Frequencies

Weight History (WHQ_E)

Data File: WHQ_E.xpt

First Published: September 2009

Last Revised: NA

Component Description

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.

Eligible Sample

The target sample for the questions in this section is persons age 16 years and older. 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 in the home, using an interviewer- administered computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) system.

For details on the administration of the Weight History (WHQ_D_) section, please refer to the NHANES 2007-08 Interviewer Procedure Manuals and the Weight History 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 2007-08 Interviewer Procedure Manuals on the NHANES website.

Data Processing and Editing

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 to be physiologically implausible and the result of interviewer data entry error, were coded as “missing.”

Three new response categories were created for WHD080 (How did you try to lose weight?) and WHD100 (What did you do to keep from gaining weight?) from Other (specify) responses: “Ate more fruits, vegetables, salads,” “Changed eating habits (didn’t eat late at night, ate less junk/fast food, ate several small meals/day),” and “Ate less sugar, candy, sweets.”

In response to WHD100 (What did you do to keep from gaining weight?), no participants selected WHD100I “Took diet pills prescribed by a doctor” or WHD100K “Took laxatives or vomited.” Only 1 participant selected WHD100H "Joined a weight loss program such as Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Tops, or Overeaters Anonymous". These three categories are not included in the data file.

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.

Responses to WHQ150 (age when weighed the most) were top coded at 80 years for consistency with the top-coded age of the survey participant.

Analytic Notes

2007-08 changes

A new question, WHD045 “How much would you like to weigh?”, was added for participants who answered “More” or “Less” to WHQ040 “Would you like to weigh more, less, or stay about the same?”

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 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