Description
MORTWTSA reports the sampling weight that adjusts for ineligible respondents in mortality analysis, based on linking NHIS respondents during survey years 1997 to 2004 to the National Death Index (NDI).
Because adult survey participants who provided insufficient data for linking may differ from those who provided enough data for linking, ignoring the ineligible adult respondents could lead to biased mortality analysis. To correct this bias, NCHS developed the eligibility-adjusted weight in MORTWTSA. MORTWTSA is a mortality weight designed for use with sample adult variables and is available for the NHIS years 1997-2004. (A similar variable, MORTWT, is appropriate for weighting variables from the NHIS person files in conjunction with mortality variables and is available for the NHIS years 1986-2004).
When analyzing NHIS variables from the sample adult files in conjunction with any of the mortality variables, users should employ MORTWTSA rather than the sample adult weight (SAMPWEIGHT). SAMPWEIGHT is based on the Final Annual Sample Adult Weights (for survey years 1997 forward) in the original NHIS public use files.
Linked Mortality Data
Only persons who were at least age 18 at the time of interview and who provided sufficient data (e.g., Social Security number, date of birth, and name) were eligible for linking to the NDI and eligible for inclusion in the linked public use mortality files (indicated by IHIS code 1 in MORTELIG). Linked mortality data for children are not available for public use; researchers interested in access to such data, or in linked mortality data with additional detail, should review the technical documentation at NHIS Linked Mortality Files.
For additional information, see the NHIS Analytic Guidelines (2010) at NHIS Linked Mortality Files. Further information is also available in the variable description for MORTELIG and in the IHIS User Note on the use of sampling weights.
Related Variables
IHIS also includes the following mortality variables released by NCHS in the NHIS linked public use mortality files:
- MORTSTAT (Final mortality status)
- MORTDODY (Year of death)
- MORTDODQ (Quarter of death)
- MORTUCOD (Underlying cause of death)
- MORTDIAB (Multiple cause of death flag, diabetes as a contributing factor)
- MORTHIPFX (Multiple cause of death flag, hip fracture as a contributing factor)
- MORTHYPR (Multiple cause of death flag, hypertension as a contributing factor)
- MORTCMS (Mortality status obtained from Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services)
- MORTNDI (Mortality match with National Death Index)
- MORTSSA (Mortality status obtained from Social Security Administration)
Universe
- 1997-2004: Sample adults age 18+ eligible for mortality follow-up.
Codes
This is a 7-digit numeric variable with 2 implied decimal places.
Availability
- 1997-2004
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Weights
- 1997-2004 : MORTWT
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