Description
ANYLMT is a summary measure of whether a person has any IADL, ADL, functional, or activity limitations. ANYLMT is constructed by AHRQ staff based on round-level information. The rounds in which information about limitations is collected changes over time, as noted in more detail under the Comparability tab.
Construction of ANYLMT
ANYLMT is constructed from round-level component variables (partially available in IPUMS MEPS) measuring IADLs, ADLs, work limitations, and activity limitations (in all years), and limitations in seeing and/or hearing (from 1996-2012 and 2017 forward). If any of these components were coded "Yes," then ANYLMT is coded as "Yes." If all components were coded "No," then ANYLMT is coded as "No." If all components were coded as "Not in Universe", then ANYLMT was also coded as "Not in Universe." If some components were coded as "No" and others had missing value codes, ANYLMT was coded as "Unknown-not ascertained."
Other disability variables available in IPUMS MEPS
- LAIADL: Person receives help or supervision with Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL)
- LAIADLRD: Person receives help or supervision with IADLs, round record
- LADL: Person receives help or supervision with Activities of Daily Living (ADL)
- LADLRD: Person receives help or supervision with ADLs, round record
- USEAID: Person uses assistive device for personal care or everyday activities
- USEAIDRD: Person uses assistive device for personal care or everyday activities, round record
- LMTPHYS: Person has functional limitation
- LMTPHYSRD: Person has functional limitations, round record
- LMTLIFT: Amount of difficulty lifting 10 pounds
- LMTLIFTRD: Amount of difficulty lifting 10 pounds, round record
- LMTWALK: Amount of difficulty walking 3 blocks
- LMTWALKRD: Amount of difficulty walking 3 blocks, round record
- LMTBEND: Amount of difficulty bending or stooping
- LMTBENDRD: Amount of difficulty bending or stooping, round record
- LMTWORK: Limited ability to do work, housework, or school
- LMTWORKRD: Limited ability to do work, housework, or school, round record
- LMTSOC: Limited ability to participate in social activities
- LMTSOCRD: Limited ability to participate in social activities, round record
- LMTCOG: Cognitive limitations affect daily activities
- LMTCOGRD: Cognitive limitations affect daily activities, round record
- DIFHEAR: Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
- DIFSEE: Blind or serious difficulty seeing, even with glasses
- DIFWLKCLM: Serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs
Codes and Frequencies
Comparability
Changes in the construction of ANYLMT and data collection affect comparability over time.
1996-2012
ANYLMT is completely comparable for the years 1996 to 2012. Between 1997 and 2012, ANYLMT uses information on IADL, ADL, functional, activity, or sensory limitations collected in Rounds 1, 2, and 3 for people in their first year of data collection and Rounds 3, 4, and 5 for people in their second year of data collection. In 1996, ANYLMT uses information on IADL, ADL, functional, activity, or sensory limitations collected in Rounds 1 and 2 of 1996.
2013-2016
Between 2013 and 2016, ANYLMT is constructed from fewer rounds of data and, more significantly for comparability across time, ANYLMT no longer uses information about limitations in hearing or sight. During this period, ANYLMT uses information on IADL, ADL, functional, or activity limitations collected during Rounds 1, 3, and 5. These differences limit comparability between the 1996-2012 and 2013-2016 periods.
2017-forward
Beginning in 2017, the Health Status (HE) section was no longer asked in Round 5, and AHRQ therefore no longer uses data collected from Round 5 in the construction of ANYLMT. Limitations on hearing and seeing were reintroduced as components used to construct ANYLMT in 2017. The 2017 and later values for ANYLMT are composed of information on IADL, ADL, functional, or activity limitations collected during Rounds 1 and 3 and information on difficulty hearing or seeing collected in Rounds 2 and 4. The removal of Round 5 data collection caused a noticeable increase in the number of cases coded as "NIU" compared to years prior to 2017 because respondents had one fewer opportunity to provide information (see Construction of ANYLMT on the Description tab).
Universe
- 1996-2023: All persons.
Availability
- 1996-2023
Weights
- 1996-2023 : PERWEIGHT
