The preventive aspirin use questionnaire (RXQASA_L) data file provides personal interview data on low-dose aspirin taken to prevent heart attacks, strokes, and cancer. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death in the United States. Low-dose aspirin might be considered for primary prevention of CVD among select adults aged 40-70 years who are at higher CVD risk but not at increased bleeding risk (Arnett DK et. al., 2019). Increasing aspirin use among individuals who are at high risk for CVD is one of the key Public Health objectives in the U.S. (Frieden & Berwick, 2011).
All survey participants aged 40 year and older in the NHANES August 2021─August 2023 sample are included in this dataset.
Survey participants between 20 and 39 years of age who reported having a history of coronary heart disease, heart attack, angina, and/or stroke were also eligible. Data obtained from this small subgroup are only available through the NCHS Research Data Center.
These questions were asked in the home or on the phone, by trained interviewers using the Computer-Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) system. A proxy provided information for survey participants who were under 16 years of age and for participants who could not answer the questions themselves. The respondent selected the language of interview (English or Spanish) or requested to use an interpreter.
The NHANES August 2021-August 2023 questionnaires are available on the NHANES website.
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. Interviewers were required to audio-record interviews. The recorded interviews were reviewed by interviewer supervisors and NCHS staff.
Frequency counts were checked, "skip" patterns were verified, and the reasonableness of question responses was reviewed. Edits were made to some variables to ensure the completeness, consistency, and analytic usefulness of the data.
The analysis of NHANES August 2021–August 2023 RXQASA data must be conducted using the appropriate survey design variables, sample weights, and the basic demographic variables. Interview weights should only be used if questionnaire data are analyzed by themselves. However, if RXQASA data are merged with the MEC examination data or laboratory full sample data, the MEC examination weights should be used for analyses. If RXQASA data are merged with laboratory subsample data, subsample weights should be used for analyses.
Please also refer to the NHANES Analytic Guidelines and the on-line NHANES Tutorial for details on the use of sample weights and other analytic issues.
| Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yes | 2049 | 2049 | |
| 2 | No | 3654 | 5703 | RXQ520 |
| 7 | Refused | 0 | 5703 | RXQ520 |
| 9 | Don't know | 9 | 5712 | RXQ520 |
| . | Missing | 13 | 5725 |
| Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yes | 1300 | 1300 | End of Section |
| 2 | No | 641 | 1941 | End of Section |
| 3 | Sometimes | 51 | 1992 | End of Section |
| 4 | Stopped aspirin use due to side effects | 55 | 2047 | End of Section |
| 7 | 7 | 1 | 2048 | |
| 9 | Don't know | 1 | 2049 | |
| . | Missing | 3676 | 5725 |
| Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yes | 203 | 203 | |
| 2 | No | 3459 | 3662 | |
| 7 | Refused | 0 | 3662 | |
| 9 | Don't know | 1 | 3663 | |
| . | Missing | 2062 | 5725 |