Description

For sample adults in 2007 who had taken one or more vitamin supplements during the past 30 days (VITMO) and had taken the first vitamin supplement to prevent (but not to treat) a specific health problem or condition (VIT1PREV), VIT1POINF indicates whether the person had used a vitamin supplement to prevent other infectious diseases.

Other infectious diseases were one of 87 possible specific conditions that respondents could report preventing with vitamin supplements. The other such conditions are:

• attention deficit disorder (VIT1PADD)

• excessive alcohol or tobacco use (VIT1PALCTOB)

• angina (VIT1PANGINA)

• anxiety (VIT1PANX)

• arthritis (VIT1PARTH)

• asthma (VIT1PASTH)

• autism (VIT1PAUT)

• back pain or problem (VIT1PBACPAIN)

• bipolar disorder (VIT1PBIPOL)

• birth defect (VIT1PBIRTHD)

• anemia and blood disorders--adults (VIT1PBLOOD)

• cancer (VIT1PCANC)

• chronic bronchitis (VIT1PCBRON)

• cholesterol (VIT1PCHOL)

• head or chest cold (VIT1PCOLD)

• constipation needing medication (VIT1PCONST)

• coronary heart disease (VIT1PCORON)

• other nerve damage, including carpal tunnel syndrome (VIT1PCTS)

• benign tumors or cysts (VIT1PCYST)

• dementia, including Alzheimer's disease (VIT1PDEMENT)

• dental pain (VIT1PDENPAIN)

• depression (VIT1PDEPRES)

• diabetes (VIT1PDIAB)

• emphysema (VIT1PEMPH)

• excessive sleepiness during the day (VIT1PESLEEPY)

• fibromyalgia (VIT1PFIBRO)

• influenza or pneumonia (VIT1PFLU)

• fracture, bone or joint injury (VIT1PFRACT)

• gout (VIT1PGOUT)

• gum disease (VIT1PGUM)

• gynecologic problem (VIT1PGYN)

• heart attack (VIT1PHATT)

• hay fever (VIT1PHAY)

• hearing problem (VIT1PHEAR)

• hernia (VIT1PHERN)

• hypertension (VIT1PHYPER)

• inflammatory bowel disease (VIT1PINFB)

• insomnia (VIT1PINSOM)

• stomach or intestinal illness (VIT1PINTEST)

• irritable bowel (VIT1PIRRB)

• jaw pain (VIT1PJAWPAIN)

• joint pain or stiffness/other joint condition (VIT1PJNTPAIN)

• weak or failing kidneys (VIT1PKIDNEY)

• poor circulation in legs (VIT1PLCIRC)

• liver problem (VIT1PLIVER)

• lupus (VIT1PLUPUS)

• mania or psychosis (VIT1PMANIA)

• memory loss or loss of other cognitive function (VIT1PMEMLOS)

• menopause (VIT1PMENOP)

• menstrual problems (VIT1PMENST)

• migraine or severe headache (VIT1PMIG)

• missing limbs (fingers, toes or digits), amputee (VIT1PMLIMB)

• neck pain or problem (VIT1PNECPAIN)

• circulation problems (other than in the legs) (VIT1PNLCIRC)

• other allergies--adults (VIT1POALLA)

• other developmental problem (VIT1PODD)

• other heart condition or disease (VIT1POHART)

• other injury (VIT1POINJ)

• knee problems (not arthritis, not joint injury) (VIT1POKNEE)

• other lung or breathing problem (VIT1POLUNG)

• other musculoskeletal problem (VIT1POMUSC)

• osteoporosis, tendinitis (VIT1POSTEO)

• phobias (VIT1PPHOBIA)

• polio (myelitis), paralysis, para/quadriplegia (VIT1PPOLIO)

• prostate trouble or impotence (VIT1PPROST)

• acid reflux (VIT1PREFLUX)

• regular headaches (VIT1PREGHEAD)

• mental retardation (VIT1PRET)

• Rheumatoid arthritis (VIT1PRHEUM)

• schizophrenia (VIT1PSCHIZ)

• seizures (VIT1PSEIZ)

• senility (VIT1PSENILE)

• sinusitis (VIT1PSINUS)

• skin problems--adults (VIT1PSKINA)

• sprain or strain (VIT1PSPRAIN)

• stress (VIT1PSTRESS)

• stroke (VIT1PSTROKE)

• substance abuse, other than alcohol or tobacco (VIT1PSUBST)

• ulcer (VIT1PULCER)

• urinary problem (VIT1PURIN)

• varicose veins, hemorrhoids (VIT1PVEIN)

• vision problem (VIT1PVISION)

• weight problem (VIT1PWEIGHT)

• other (VIT1POTH1, VIT1POTH2, VIT1POTH3)

Persons taking more than one vitamin supplement during the past 30 days were also asked whether their second vitamin supplement was used to prevent a specific problem or condition (VIT2PREV) and, if so, what was that condition. Similarly, persons taking herbal supplements during the past 30 days (HERMO) were asked whether those herbal supplements were used to prevent a specific condition (see HER1PREV and HER2PREV).

VIT1MOST reports the specific first vitamin supplement (out of 20 possible vitamins) that was taken most often by the respondent. Analysts interested in the prevention of other infectious diseases by other vitamin or herbal supplements should see the related variables VIT2POINF, HER1POINF, and HER2POINF. The corresponding variables VIT2MOST, HER1MOST, and HER2MOST indicate which vitamin or herbal supplement was taken.

Sample adults and sample children were also asked about their use of vitamin supplements to treat (rather than to prevent) health problems or conditions (VIT1TREAT and VIT2TREAT). Researchers interested in the use of vitamin supplements to treat other infectious diseases should see VIT1TOINF and VIT2TOINF. For more information on the full range of variables related to the use of vitamin supplements, see VITMO.

Comparability

VIT1POINF is only available for 2007.

Universe

Availability

• 2007

Weights

• 2007 : SAMPWEIGHT