Description
For children ages 0 to 17, HGTMEAS reports whether a doctor or other health provider had ever measured the child's height.
Beginning in 2018 HGTMEAS 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.
Child Preventive Care
HGTMEAS is part of a series of questions asked about child preventive care, which is collected on the Child Preventive Health Supplement (see LESSHLTHY for more information on the Child Preventive Health Supplement). This series of questions asks about the amount and types of preventive care a child may receive when going to see a doctor or other health provider. Which questions are asked depends upon on the age of the child. Additional variables in this series include:
- HGTMEASWHN: When doctor measured child's height
- WGTMEAS: Doctor ever measured child's weight
- WGTMEASWHN: When doctor measured child's weight
- BMIKID: Body mass index of child
- VISMEAS: Doctor ever checked child's vision
- BPMEAS: Doctor ever checked child's blood pressure
- BPMEASWHN: When doctor checked child's blood pressure
- DENADV: Doctor ever advised dental checkup for child
- DENADVWHN: When doctor advised dental checkup for child
- EATADV: Doctor ever given advice about child's eating healthy
- EATADVWHN: When doctor gave advice about child's eating healthy
- PHYSADV: Doctor ever given advice about amount and kind of physical activity
- PHYSADVWHN: When doctor gave advice about amount and kind of physical activity
- SFSTADV: Doctor ever given advice about using a safety seat
- SFSTADVWHN: When doctor gave advice about using a safety seat
- BSTADV: Doctor ever given advice about using a booster seat
- BSTADVWHN: When doctor gave advice about using a booster seat
- LPBTADV: Doctor ever given advice about using seat belts
- LPBTADVWHN: When doctor gave advice about using seat belts
- HMTADV: Doctor ever given advice about wearing a helmet
- HMTADVWHN: When doctor gave advice about wearing a helmet
- SMKADV: Doctor ever given advice about how smoking can be bad for the child's health
- SMKADVWHN: When doctor gave advice about how smoking can be bad for the child's health
- DOCALONE: Doctor spent any time alone with child during last health care visit
Codes and Frequencies
Universe
- 2001-2018; 2020: Children ages 0-17.
Availability
- 2001-2018, 2020
Weights
- 2001-2018, 2020 : PERWEIGHT