Key Concepts about Identifying Cardiovascular Fitness Variables and File Locations
NHANES data files are organized into four categories:
- Demographics files contain survey design variables, such as sample weights, strata, and primary sampling units, as well as demographic characteristics, such as sex, age, and race.
- Examination files contain information collected through interviews in the mobile exam center and physical exams (including anthropometric and physical activity data, dental exams, and 24-hour dietary recall interviews).
- Laboratory files contain results from analyses of blood, urine, hair, tuberculin skin test, air, and household dust and water specimens.
- Questionnaire files contain data collected through household and Mobile Examination Center (MEC) interviews.
Cardiovascular fitness variables are included in the CVX data file, which is stored in the Examination section for each 2-year cycle of the continuous NHANES.
The CVX file includes the estimated maximal oxygen uptake for study participants, extrapolated from results of the submaximal treadmill test. The file also includes variables to describe whether participants successfully completed the test, their cardiovascular fitness level, and their assigned treadmill exercise protocol.
Variable Name | Description |
---|---|
SEQN | Respondent sequence number |
CVDEXSTS & CVDEXCMT | CV fitness exam status and comment code |
CVDEXCL1 – CVDEXCL6 | Exclusion criteria |
CVQ220A – CVQ220M | Categorical stopping criteria status |
CVDEXLEN | Length of CV fitness exam |
CVDPMHR | Predicted maximal heart rate (per min) |
CVXPARC | Physical activity readiness code |
CVDVOMAX | Predicted VO2max (ml/kg/min) |
CVAPROT | Assigned exercise protocol |
CVDPROT | Exercise protocol used in stage 1 and 2 |
CVDESVO2 | Predicted cardiovascular fitness (based on age, body mass index, and self reported active level) |
CVDFITLV | Estimated cardiovascular fitness level |