Question pretext
Now I would like to read to you questions about some health problems or health care needs that you and the young children in this house may have experienced, and the treatment or medical care that you may have received.
Interviewer instructions
The point of this question is to identify individuals with a diagnosed case of arthritis.
Arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease which affects joints and impairs their functioning. Swelling, redness, heat and pain are the signs of inflammation. There are different forms of arthritis and when diagnosis is made by a doctor or other medical professional the type of arthritis may be specified. However, it is unnecessary here to ask the respondent to remember the exact type of arthritis that was diagnosed. Because of the chronic nature of the condition (that is, because it lasts a long time), the respondent is given an open time frame for recalling the diagnosis. Probe if the respondent is unsure whether they have ever been afflicted with the condition. If the respondent seems not to understand the term "arthritis" explain that this is a disease of joints (such as in the arms, hands, legs or feet).
