The 2002 and 2007 NHIS included a range of variables involving the use of herbal supplements in the past month (see HERMO) and the past year (HERYR). In 2007, respondents who had ever taken herbal supplements but had not done so in the past 30 days (i.e., those with a positive response to HEREV coupled with a negative response to HERMO) and those who had ever taken herbal supplements but had not done so in the past 12 months (i.e., those with a positive response to HEREV coupled with a negative response to HERYR) were asked their reason for not using natural herbs in the past 30 days or in the past 12 months. (See HERNOMCOST and HERNOYCOST for the range of possible reasons.)

Respondents who had not used natural herbs in the past 30 days or in the past 12 months because they had side effects the last time they had used such herbs (HERNOMSIDE or HERNOYSIDE) were asked to specify those side effects. (Because these data were recorded in the form of alphabetic verbatim responses, IPUMS NHIS does not harmonize this material. However, these verbatim responses are available in the public use files for NHIS.) Respondents were then asked whether they had needed medical attention for those side effects.

In 2007, information about whether alternative treatments had previously resulted in side effects requiring medical attention was also collected for acupuncture (ACUSIDEMED), chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation (COMSIDEMED), meditation (RELSIDEMED), and yoga (YTQSIDEMED).