Table of Contents

Component Description

The dermatology questionnaire section (variable name prefix DEQ) provides personal interview data on sun exposure and sun protective behavior.

Eligible Sample

The target group for this questionnaire section is participants aged 20-59 years.

Interview Setting and Mode of Administration

The Dermatology questionnaire was asked, in the home, by trained interviewers using the Computer-Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) system.

Quality Assurance & Quality Control

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.

Data Processing and Editing

Frequency counts were verified during the preparation of the file.

Analytic Notes

Responses to questions on time spent outside on work or school days (DEQ120) and on days not at work or at school (DEQ125) were collected in either hours or minutes. For data release purposes all responses were converted to minutes. If participants indicated that they did not spend any time outdoors then their values for these questions were set to zero. The corresponding description in the codebook is “no time spent outdoors”. Values of 1-14 minutes were grouped into one category. The code “3333” was set for participants who reported “does not work or go to school” to DEQ120 or “at work or at school 9 to 5 seven days a week” to DEQ125. These variables were then renamed DED120 and DED125 for release, respectively.

Responses to question DEQ038Q, “How many times in the past year have you had a sunburn?” with values of 20 or more combined into one category.

Analysts should be aware that some questions may have very few responses for. Even with two years of data collection, there may not be sufficient sample size for such variables to be analytically useful. In these cases, it may be necessary to combine more than two years of data to conduct analysis. The dermatology questionnaire has been in NHANES since 1999. The questions asked in a given 2-year cycle were sometimes modified to focus on different dermatologic topics. In 2007-08 the dermatology section was modified to focus more on sun exposure and sun protective behavior, etc. The 2013-14 dermatology section is identical to that used from 2011-12.

Most, but not all dermatology data is available publically. Data collection for the 2007-08 dermatology questionnaire did not start at the beginning of the year 2007. Therefore, due to sample size and other disclosure concerns, 2007-08 data for this component are not available publically. It is, however, available as a limited access file through the NCHS Research Data Center (RDC). Researchers interested in using dermatology data from 2007-08 should refer to the RDC website for more information.

Although dermatology data 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 NHANES Analytic Guidelines and the on-line NHANES Tutorial for further details on the use of sample weights and other analytic issues.

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 20 YEARS - 59 YEARS

DED031 - Skin reaction to sun after non-exposure

Variable Name:
DED031
SAS Label:
Skin reaction to sun after non-exposure
English Text:
If after several months of not being in the sun, {you/SP} then went out in the sun without sunscreen or protective clothing for a half hour, which one of these would happen to {your/his/her} skin?
English Instructions:
HAND CARD DEQ2
Target:
Both males and females 20 YEARS - 59 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Get a severe sunburn with blisters 69 69
2 A severe sunburn for a few days with peeling 302 371
3 Mildly burned with some tanning 993 1364
4 Turning darker without a sunburn 937 2301
5 Nothing would happen in half an hour 1585 3886
6 Other 35 3921
77 Refused 1 3922
99 Don't know 5 3927
. Missing 1 3928

DEQ034A - Stay in the shade?

Variable Name:
DEQ034A
SAS Label:
Stay in the shade?
English Text:
When {you go/SP goes} outside on a very sunny day, for more than one hour, how often {do you/does SP} Stay in the shade?
English Instructions:
HAND CARD DEQ2A
Target:
Both males and females 20 YEARS - 59 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Always 392 392
2 Most of the time 986 1378
3 Sometimes 1561 2939
4 Rarely, or 569 3508
5 Never? 372 3880
6 Don't go out in the sun 46 3926 DEQ038G
77 Refused 0 3926
99 Don't know 1 3927
. Missing 1 3928

DEQ034C - Wear a long sleeved shirt

Variable Name:
DEQ034C
SAS Label:
Wear a long sleeved shirt
English Text:
Wear a long sleeved shirt? Would you say . . .
English Instructions:
HAND CARD DEQ2A
Target:
Both males and females 20 YEARS - 59 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Always 193 193
2 Most of the time 234 427
3 Sometimes 836 1263
4 Rarely, or 765 2028
5 Never? 1853 3881
7 Refused 0 3881
9 Don't know 0 3881
. Missing 47 3928

DEQ034D - Use sunscreen?

Variable Name:
DEQ034D
SAS Label:
Use sunscreen?
English Text:
Use sunscreen? Would you say . . .
English Instructions:
HAND CARD DEQ2A
Target:
Both males and females 20 YEARS - 59 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Always 483 483
2 Most of the time 481 964
3 Sometimes 760 1724
4 Rarely, or 546 2270
5 Never? 1610 3880 DEQ038G
7 Refused 0 3880 DEQ038G
9 Don't know 1 3881 DEQ038G
. Missing 47 3928

DEQ038G - In past yr did you have sunburn?

Variable Name:
DEQ038G
SAS Label:
In past yr did you have sunburn?
English Text:
How many times in the past year {have you/has SP} had a sunburn?
English Instructions:
GATE QUESTION CAPI INSTRUCTION: BUILD HARD EDITS 1-365.
Target:
Both males and females 20 YEARS - 59 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Enter number 1408 1408
2 Never 2509 3917
7 Refused 0 3917
9 Don't know 10 3927
. Missing 1 3928

DEQ038Q - # of times in past yr you had a sunburn

Variable Name:
DEQ038Q
SAS Label:
# of times in past yr you had a sunburn
English Text:
How many times in the past year {have you/has SP} had a sunburn?
English Instructions:
ENTER NUMBER OF TIMES
Target:
Both males and females 20 YEARS - 59 YEARS
Hard Edits:
1 to 19
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 to 15 Range of Values 1399 1399
20 20 or more times 9 1408
77777 Refused 0 1408
99999 Don't know 0 1408
. Missing 2520 3928

DED120 - Minutes outdoors 9am - 5pm work day

Variable Name:
DED120
SAS Label:
Minutes outdoors 9am - 5pm work day
English Text:
The next questions ask about the time you spent outdoors during the past 30 days. By outdoors, I mean outside and not under any shade. How much time did you usually spend outdoors between 9 in the morning and 5 in the afternoon on the days that you worked or went to school?
English Instructions:
ENTER NUMBER OF MINUTES
Target:
Both males and females 20 YEARS - 59 YEARS
Hard Edits:
0 to 480
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
15 to 480 Range of Values 2022 2022
0 No time spent outdoors 1264 3286
14 1-14 minutes 81 3367
3333 Does not work or go to school 555 3922
7777 Refused 0 3922
9999 Don't Know 2 3924
. Missing 4 3928

DED125 - Minutes outdoors 9am - 5pm not work day

Variable Name:
DED125
SAS Label:
Minutes outdoors 9am - 5pm not work day
English Text:
During the past 30 days, how much time did you usually spend outdoors between 9 in the morning and 5 in the afternoon on the days when you were not working or going to school?
English Instructions:
ENTER NUMBER OF MINUTES
Target:
Both males and females 20 YEARS - 59 YEARS
Hard Edits:
0 to 480
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
15 to 480 Range of Values 3220 3220
0 No time spent outdoors 644 3864
14 1-14 minutes 47 3911
3333 At work or at school 9 to 5 seven days a week 9 3920
7777 Refused 0 3920
9999 Don't Know 4 3924
. Missing 4 3928