Prevalence of selected chronic digestive conditions, United States - july-december 1968

This report on chronic digestive conditions is the first of a new series of reports on the prevalence of selected chronic conditions" based on data collected as a part of the Health Interview Survey. Estimates of the prevalence of chronic diseases or impairments have been made from information reported in the Health Interview Survey since its inception in July of 1957. Since that time efforts have been made to improve the quality of the data on the prevalence of chronic conditions. Chronic conditions reported in interviews may be described as those of which the respondent is aware and which he is willing to report to an interviewer. The diagnostic accuracy of reported conditions is dependent on the information the attending physician has passed on to the family or, in the absence of medical attention, on the previous medical experience or education of the family. Prior to 1968 in the Health Interview Survey an attempt was made to obtain data on all chronic conditions that respondents had had during the. 12-month period before the date of the interview; checklists of about 40 to 50 chronic conditions and impairments were used. Beginning in 1968 the procedure was changed, and data were obtained only for chronic conditions within one system of conditions each year (although data on all conditions causing long term limitations of activity, disability days, and physician visits were still obtained). In 1968 respondents were read a list of 25 conditions, the majority of which were digestive conditions (see question 16a, appendix III). A more detailed discussion of basic changes made in 1968 can be found in Vital and Health Statistics, Series 2, Number 48.