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BMIKID
Body mass index of child

Description

For children ages 6 to 17 (and 3-17 in 2001-2002), BMIKID reports the child's Body Mass Index (BMI) based on the child's reported height and weight. Height is converted from feet and inches to centimeters, and weight is converted from pounds and ounces to kilograms. A preliminary BMI is then calculated using the formula [weight in kilograms] / [([height in centimeters]/100) squared] using the procedure described on the CDC website.

Beginning in 2018 BMIKID is fielded every other year and will only be collected in even years. See our user note for more details on this and other changes that occurred in 2018.

IPUMS MEPS reports the universe for each variable based on a thorough review of the original MEPS documentation. Investigating the data may reveal cases that do not meet the stated universe. Users are encouraged to validate universes for their analyses. The child height and weight variables are not included in the public use MEPS data to preserve confidentiality.

In cases where height in feet was reported and greater than zero but height in inches was missing, height in inches was set to 6 inches

The universe and bottom and top-coding procedures for BMIKID change over time. See the comparability tab for more information.

BMIKID is part of a series of questions asked about child preventive care, which is collected on the Child Preventive Health Supplement. See HGTMEAS for more information on the series of child preventive care questions and LESSHLTHY for more information on the Child Preventive Health Supplement.