(“Quality of Life”) includes six questions on functional limitations and impairments. Disability measures can also be found in several additional standardized modules.

National Health Interview Survey The National Health Interview Survey is a cross-sectional survey conducted throughout the calendar year (nationally representative replicate samples are introduced every two weeks) that collects information about the amount and distribution of illness in terms of limited activities, chronic impairments, and health care services received by persons of all ages. All persons in the household are asked two questions concerning disability: (1) Are you limited in any way in any activities because of physical, mental, or emotional problems? (2) Do you now have any health problem that requires you to use special equipment, such as a cane, a wheelchair, a special bed, or a special telephone? Sampled adults (one per household) are asked a series of questions concerning functional limitations and the degree of difficulty associated with going out, participating in social activities, and participating in leisure activities in the home. Over the course of a year, data are collected on approximately 98,000 persons (core questionnaire), with additional information obtained from approximately 32,000 sampled adults and 14,000 sampled children.

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey The redesigned National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey collects information on health and nutritional status of adults and children in the United States through household-based interviews as well as physical examinations. Although the NHANES was a periodic survey that began in the 1960s, in 1998 the study was redesigned so as to provide continuous monitoring of the population. The annual survey consists of interviews with approximately 5,000 persons per year. The household questionnaire includes questions concerning limitations in activities for children and for adults—limitations related to work, mobility, cognition, and functional activities. A medical examination also provides information on physical limitations as well as assessment of mental health and cognitive function.

American Housing Survey The American Housing Survey (AHS) consists of a national biannual sample and a rolling annual metropolitan sample conducted by the Census Bureau for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. National data are collected every other year from a fixed sample of housing units supplemented by a new construction sample. The national sample consists of approximately 55,000 housing