Measures table detailing specific questions for each health condition or problem
| Construct | Waves included | Response ‘Yes’ to the following questions, unless otherwise specified |
| Ongoing health condition | Does (study child) have any of these ongoing conditions? ‘Ongoing conditions’ exist for some period of time (weeks, months or years) or re-occur regularly | |
| Anxiety and depression | B, K: 4–6 | Anxiety disorder, depression |
| ADHD | B: 3–6, K: all | Attention-deficit disorder |
| Autism spectrum disorder | B, K: 4–6 | Autism, Asperger’s or other autism spectrum |
| Constipation | B, K: 3–6 | Constipation |
| Diabetes | B, K: 3–6 | Diabetes |
| Ear infections | B: all, K: 1, 2, 4, 5 | Ear infections |
| Eczema | B, K: all | Eczema |
| Epilepsy | B, K: 4–6 | Epilepsy or seizure disorder |
| Frequent headaches | B: 3–6, K: all | Frequent headaches |
| Abdominal pain | B, K: 2–6 | Recurrent abdominal pain |
| Soiling | B, K: 3–6 | Soiling |
| Tonsillitis | B, K: 3–6 | Tonsillitis |
| Current asthma | B: 2–6, K: all | Has your doctor ever told you that (study child) has asthma? AND EITHER Has (study child) taken any medication for asthma in the last 12 months? OR In the last 12 months, has (study child) ever had an illness with wheezing in the chest which lasted for 1 week or more? |
| Dental decay | B, K: 2–6 | In the last 2 years, has (study child) ever had any of following problems with his/her teeth? Cavities or dental decay |
| Day-wetting | B: 2–6, K: 4–6 | ‘No’ to question ‘Is the (study child) dry by day yet?’ OR ‘Yes’ to question ‘Does (study child) have any of these ongoing conditions? Wetting self during the day’ |
| Injury | B, K: all | More than ‘0’ to question ‘During the last 12 months, how many times has (study child) been hurt, injured or had an accident and needed medical attention from a doctor or hospital?’ |
| Sleep problems | B, K: all | ‘A moderate problem’ or ‘A large problem’ to question ‘How much is (study child)’s sleeping pattern or habits a problem for you?’ |
| Overweight/obesity | B: 2–6, K: all | Measured body mass index (weight (kg)/(height (m)2)); classification based on cut-offs according to the International Obesity Task Force into overweight/obesity and obesity alone16 |
| Health indicators | ||
| General health status (good/fair/poor) | B, K: all | Global health item: ‘In general, how would you say your child’s current health is?’, Response categories dichotomised to ‘excellent/very good’ versus ‘good/fair/poor’, providing meaningfully sized ‘condition’ groups equating to a cutpoint of around −1.0 to −1.25 SD at the various ages (see figure 1C) |
| Special health care needs | B, K: all | Two-item version of the Children with Special Health Care Needs Screener,17 yielding a single ‘yes/no’ outcome from the following questions: ‘Does (study child) currently need or use medicine prescribed by a doctor, other than vitamins?’ AND ‘Is this because of any medical, behavioural or other health condition?’ AND ‘Is this a condition that has lasted or is expected to last for at least 12 months?’ OR ‘Does (study child) need or use more medical care than is usual for most children of the same age?’ AND ‘Is this because of any medical, behavioural or other health condition?’ AND ‘Is this a condition that has lasted or is expected to last for at least 12 months?’ |
ADHD, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder; B, birth cohort (0–11 years); K, kindergarten cohort (4–15 years).