010000 PERSONAL CARE

Category Description

This category captures time the respondent spends sleeping, grooming, providing self-care, and doing sexual activities. Respondents are not asked WHO they were with or WHERE they were for sleeping (010100), grooming (010200), and personal (sexual) activities (010400), as such information is sensitive for these activities.

Activity Coding Rules

Exercising for medical conditions

2003: Code as Sports, Exercise, and Recreation/Participating in Sports, Exercise, or Recreation/specific sport (130100). For example, code weightlifting exercises prescribed by a physical therapist for a medical condition as weightlifting.

2004+: If it is clear from the verbatim that physical therapy exercising is done specifically for medical reasons, code as Health-related self-care (010301). If the purpose is not clear, code as Sports, Exercise, and Recreation/Participating in Sports, Exercise, or Recreation/specific sport (130100). For example, code weightlifting exercises as weightlifting. (Updated: February 2004)

Insomnia

2003+: Code as Sleeplessness (010102). Exception: If the respondent mentions thinking or worrying, code as Socializing, Relaxing, and Leisure/Relaxing and Leisure/Relaxing, thinking (120301).

Kissing hello or goodbye

2003+: Code as Socializing, Relaxing, and Leisure/Socializing and Communicating/Socializing and communicating with others (120101), not as Personal Care/Personal Activities.

Meditating

2003+: Code as Personal Care/Health-Related Self Care/Health-related self-care (010301). Exception: If verbatim specifically mentions Meditating for religious purposes, code as Religious and Spiritual Activities/Religious or Spiritual Practices/Participation in religious practices (140102).

Passive activities

2003+: Passive activities such as "my daughter trimmed my hair," "my wife gave me a massage," or "a friend rubbed suntan lotion on me" should be coded as personal care activities. Exception: Passive activities involving "waiting" and "watching" should be coded according to who the respondent was watching or waiting for. See Miscellaneous Rules for more information.

Resting

2003+: Code as Socializing, Relaxing, and Leisure/Relaxing and Leisure/Relaxing, thinking (120301).

Resting because of illness or injury

2003+: Code as Personal Care/Health-Related Self Care/Health-related self-care (010301), not as sleeping or relaxing.

Getting a haircut from spouse/friend/other (unpaid)

2005-2006: Code as Personal Care/Grooming/Washing, dressing, and grooming oneself (010201). (Added: November 2004)

2007+: Code as Personal Care/Grooming/Grooming, n.e.c. (010299). (Revised: January 2007)

  • 010100 SLEEPING

  • 010200 GROOMING

    • 010201 WASHING, DRESSING, AND GROOMING ONESELF

      Category activity examples

      • Bathing
      • Blow-drying hair
      • Brushing hair
      • Brushing lint off clothing
      • Brushing teeth
      • Changing clothes
      • Cleaning contact lenses
      • Cleaning ears
      • Combing hair
      • Cutting own hair
      • Doing nails
      • Doing own hair
      • Filing nails
      • Flossing teeth
      • Gargling mouthwash
      • Getting a haircut from spouse/friend (unpaid) (2005-2006)
      • Getting dressed
      • Getting undressed
      • Grooming
      • Laying clothes out
      • Perming own hair
      • Putting in contact lenses
      • Putting on hand cream
      • Putting on makeup
      • Putting on nail polish
      • Putting on night cream
      • Putting on pajamas
      • Putting on shoes
      • Removing curlers
      • Running bath
      • Shaving
      • Shaving legs
      • Showering
      • Using the bathroom (2004+)
      • Washing face
      • Washing feet
      • Washing hair
      • Washing hands

    • 010299 GROOMING, N.E.C.

      Category activity examples

      • Friend rubbed suntan lotion on me (2007+)
      • Getting a haircut from spouse or friend (unpaid) (2007+)
      • Mom braided my hair (2007+)

  • 010300 HEALTH-RELATED SELF CARE

    • 010301 HEALTH-RELATED SELF CARE

      Category activity examples

      • Applying ointment
      • Bandaging ankle
      • Changing oxygen
      • Checking my oxygen levels (2020+)
      • Checking my temperature (2020+)
      • Doing childbirth exercises
      • Doing stress management exercises
      • Dressing a wound
      • Exercising or therapy for medical reasons (2004+)
      • Gargling for sore throat
      • Giving oneself a shot
      • Giving oneself an injection
      • Meditating (not religious)
      • Putting ice on injury
      • Resting because of illness
      • Resting because of injury
      • Self-administering a COVID test (2020+)
      • Taking cough drops
      • Taking insulin
      • Taking medicine
      • Taking my blood pressure before a telehealth/telemedicine appt (2020+)
      • Taking my temperature before a telehealth/telemedicine appt (2020+)
      • Taking my temperature before leaving for the airport (2020+)
      • Taking vitamins
      • Testing blood sugar level

    • 010399 SELF CARE, N.E.C.

      Category activity examples

      • Feeling sick

  • 010400 PERSONAL ACTIVITIES

  • 010500 PERSONAL CARE EMERGENCIES

  • 019900 PERSONAL CARE, N.E.C.