Description

For all current and institutionalized persons, LMTPHYS indicates if the person has any functional limitations. Respondents were asked "Does anyone in the family have difficulties walking, climbing stairs, grasping objects, reaching overhead, lifting, bending or stooping, or standing for long periods of time?" If the answer was yes, the respondent was asked to identify which members of the household had these difficulties.

If no one in the family had these limitations, all members of the family are coded as 'No' (1). For families that responded with 'Refused' (7), 'Not Ascertained' (8), or 'Don't Know' (9), all members of the family were assigned the family-level response. If the response to the family screener question was 'Yes' (2) but no family members were identified as having difficulties, everyone in the family was coded as 'Don't Know.'

Family members age 13 and older who had functional limitations were asked a series of follow-up questions about each activity listed. These limitations are:

• Difficulty lifting 10 pounds (LMTLIFT)

• Difficulty walking up 10 steps

• Difficulty walking 3 blocks (LMTWALK)

• Difficulty walking a mile

• Difficulty standing 20 minutes

• Difficulty bending or stooping (LMTBEND)

• Difficulty reaching over head

• Difficulty using fingers to grasp

Collection frequency and timing for LMTPHYS change over time. This question was fielded annually from 2017-2019 and 2022 forward. In other years, it was fielded more than once per year and those responses are recorded in the round-level variable LMTPHYSRD.

LMTPHYS is one of a series of variables about limitations and disability available in IPUMS MEPS. A complete list of these variables can be found in the description for ANYLMT.

Comparability

This variable is comparable over time.

Universe

Availability

• 2017-2019, 2022-2023

Weights

• 2017-2019, 2022-2023 : PERWEIGHT

Flags