The question for SAWFRIEND is one of a series included in the NHIS as part of the Healthy People 2010 initiative. To address 2010 Health People Objectives related to social support, the NHIS also collected information on whether sample adults participated in the following other activities during the past 2 weeks:

• Talked with friends or neighbors on the telephone (CALLFRIEND)

• Got together with any relatives with whom they did not live (SAWRELS)

• Talked on the telephone with any relatives with whom they did not live (CALLRELS)

• Went to church, temple, or another place of worship for services or other activities (WORSHIP)

• Went to a show or movie, sports event, club meeting, class or other group event (GROUPEVENT)

• Went out to eat at a restaurant (ATEOUT)

Other variables used to track different aspects of social support for the Healthy People 2010 initiative and included in the 2001 NHIS include:

• How often get emotional support (EMOSUPPORT)

• How satisfied with life (SATISFIED)

• How often felt happy, past 30 days (HAPPY30)