on-line analysis and age adjustment

HEALTH SURVEYS
1

Using the on-line analysis tool, I would like to age-adjust the IHIS data while doing an analysis comparing the prevalence of back pain between 2004 and 2014 using the

multi-year data set. I notice that the following text had been posted by an MPC staff member in 2014:

“The age variable is not adjusted in the multi-year files. The multi-year files are created using the population adjustments for the median year, meaning that the weighted frequency of age should be an accurate representation of the population of the median year of the multi-year file.”

Since the muti-year data set is from 1997-2014, the median year is 2006. So this means that all years are age-adjusted to 2006 data?

Is it possible to use other weights than 2006? For instance folks usually age adjust using either the 2000 or 2010 Census data.

2

The multiyear IHIS file on the on-line analysis tool is slightly different than the multiyear ACS files that are referenced in your question. The IHIS multiyear file in the on-line analysis tool is basically just a combination of all the IHIS samples from 1997 - 2015. Due to this, you should include ‘year’ as a selection filter or a specified variable when creating a table. This multiyear data set allows users to generate tables that analyze IHIS variables over time. Regarding the age variable in the IHIS on-line analysis tool, the value within each year reports the actual age of the respondent when the interview took place. Therefore no age adjustment is needed.

I hope this helps.