The National Health Interview Survey. Part 2
Another Census activity is the Survey of Income and Program Participation or SIPP. The SIPP is a continuing survey with monthly interviews of a multistage-stratified sample of the U.S. civilian non-institutionalized population. The purpose of SIPP is to collect income, labor force information, program participation and eligibility data, and general demographic characteristics to measure the effectiveness of existing federal, state, and local programs; to estimate future costs and coverage for government programs, such as food stamps; and to provide improved statistics on the distribution of income in the country. Under the SIPP, disability is defined as meeting one or more of the following criteria: 1) using a wheel chair, cane, crutch, or walker; 2) having difficulties performing functional activities; 3) having difficulties performing activities of daily living; 4) having difficulties performing instrumental activities of daily living; 5) having one or more specific mental or emotional conditions, or mental or emotional conditions that affect everyday living; 6) or having a condition that limits the ability to work around the house or at a job or business (USCB, 2004).
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Prevalence Rates of Disability
Prevalence rates drawn from these surveys generate varying populations estimates owing to the use of varying definitions of disability and differences in design and data collection methods. Table 2 provides prevalence rates obtained from the five national surveys among males and females. Because of the higher rates of disability among older populations, the table is limited to prevalence rates among males and females with disabilities under the age of 65. Data are drawn from different years because most of the surveys are not conducted annually and age ranges in the table differ slightly based on availability of data. The Census data are from 2000, the ACS from 2003, the SIPP from 2002, the NHIS-D from 1994, and the BRFSS from 2003. Given the limitations in the data, comparisons among the prevalence rates should be made conservatively.
Public Health and Disability
The field of public health has evolved from its historical focus on fundamental issues of sanitation, water quality, and infectious disease control to a broader perspective that addresses chronic illness and lifestyle behaviors. This evolution is based both on successful eradication or control of many infectious diseases, as well as an increasing awareness of the complex social, political, economic, geographic, demographic, and physiologic factors that affect health. The field of public health has also made significant changes in how it views disability. Traditionally, when disability was included in public health, it was with a focus on primary prevention of disabling conditions (i.e., prevention of injuries and birth defects). A growing number of contemporary public health efforts include disability surveillance and support for research on health promotion activities for people with disabilities.