I would like to construct data that allows for examination of condition trends by demographic group.
When attempting to link the Condition records (hierarchical format) to the Person records using the variables “MEPSID” and Year variables (following #5 IPUMS MEPS), I get minimal matches (using all samples).
Are the identifiers described above the correct variables for linking the condition and person records? or have the identifiers needed to link these files been updated?
IPUMS MEPS hierarchical files nest condition records under the corresponding person record into a single file where person-level variables are reported on the person record (RECTYPE = P) and condition-level variables are reported on the condition record (RECTYPE = X). Phrased differently, person records are the parent to condition records. In the example below, copied from the IPUMS MEPS Extract Data Structures Guide, the condition-level variable ICD9CODE is provided on the condition record, which is nested under its “parent” person record with MEPSID = 2070001101 that it relates to. Since MEPSID is a person-level variable, it is missing for all condition-level records. Users can fill demographic variables on the person record down to the condition records they correspond to by replacing missing values for demographic variables with the preceding non-missing value.
While person records are parents to all other record types such that the hierarchical file nests all records relating to an individual under their person-record, this nesting does not repeat for other record types (except for linking records). For example, some condition records correspond to an event record, but they are not the child of the event record that they correspond to. Linking allows users to match these types of sibling records. Condition records can be linked to their event record sibling (if they have one) using the condition-event link record (RECTYPE = “J”) the follows the condition record. See the user guide for more information on condition-event linking.
Note that from 2018-onwards, condition records are only included if the condition is linked to an event such as a medical provider visit (see EVENTYPE for the types of events included), or a prescribed medicine obtained by the survey participant. Since this sampling procedure does not capture conditions that do not have an associated event or medication, MEPS condition data can be used to generate estimates of treated prevalence, but should not be used to make estimates of disease, prevalence of health conditions, or mortality/morbidity. From 1996-2017, the data additionally reports selected priority conditions such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and asthma (see PRTYCOND for more information on priority conditions) for all survey participants.