Description
ASTHCLASS indicates whether sample adults and sample children (or the family members of sample children) with asthma had ever taken a course on managing their asthma. In 1999, this information was collected for sample adults and sample children who were ever told by a doctor or other health professional that they had asthma (ASTHMAEV); in 2003, it was collected for sample adults and sample children who still had asthma (ASTHMASTIL) or who had an asthma episode/attack in the past 12 months (ASTHATAKYR).
The 2003 survey contained several other questions dealing with various aspects of asthma patient education. These covered whether persons with asthma had been given an asthma management plan by a doctor or other health professional (ASTHPLAN) and whether they had received professional advice on how to use an inhaler (ASTHINSHOW), on long-term asthma management (ASTHMANAGE), on recognizing early signs of an asthma episode (ASTHSIGNS), on responding to episodes of asthma (ASTHRESPOND), on monitoring peak flow for daily therapy (ASTHPEAK), and on changing things at home, school, or work to improve their asthma (ASTHCHEN).
For a full list of asthma-related variables currently in the IHIS, see
ASTHMAEV.
Comparability
Along with the difference in universe noted above, the question wording for sample children differed between 1999 and 2003, leading to a corresponding difference in coded responses.
In 1999, for sample children, interviewers asked, "Has anyone in the family ever taken a course or class on how to manage [person's] asthma?" Given this wording, an affirmative response could mean that the sample child took such a class, or that an adult family member took such a class to learn how to manage the child's asthma .
In 2003, for sample children, interviewers asked the same question that was used for sample adults, namely, "Has [person] ever taken a course or class on how to manage [his/her] asthma?" The survey form also directed interviewers to "include adult(s) who took a course for the child's asthma." In 2003, coded responses included "yes" and "no," as in 1999, along with a third category, "adult took class for child's asthma."
To increase comparability across years, IHIS uses a composite coding system for this variable.
Both the simple "yes" category and the category "yes, adult took class for child's asthma" share a common first digit of "2." The additional information that it was an adult family member who took the class in the child's behalf is available in 2003 only, so this distinction is specified in the second digit (i.e., a code of "20" for "yes" and a code of "21" for "yes, adult took class for child's asthma"). To maximize comparability between the two years, all responses with a first digit of "2" should be combined.
Universe
- 1991: Sample persons 18+ who had asthma in the past 12 months.
- 1993: Half of sample persons age 18+ in quarters 3 and 4 (excluded from AIDS supplement) who were ever told they had asthma.
- 1998: Sample adults 18+ who were ever told they had asthma.
- 1999: Sample adults 18+ and sample children under age 18 who were ever told they had asthma.
- 2003: Sample adults 18+ and sample children under age 18 who still have asthma or have had an asthma attack in past 12 months.
- 2008: Sample adults 18+ and sample children under age 18 who still have asthma or have had an asthma attack in past 12 months.
Codes and Frequencies
Availability
- 1991, 1993, 1998-1999, 2003, 2008
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Weights
- 1991, 1998-1999, 2003, 2008 : SAMPWEIGHT
- 1993 : SUPP2WT
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