Description

For sample adults in 2002 who had ever participated in a prayer chain or prayer group for their own health (PRAGROUPEV), PRAGROUPYR indicates whether they had ever participated in a prayer chain or prayer group for their own health in the past 12 months.

Spiritual healing--including prayer for one's own health, requesting others to pray for one's own health, prayer groups, and healing rituals/sacraments--was one of many alternative health treatment modalities included in the 2002 and 2007 Alternative Health Supplements. For the full list of alternative health treatments covered in the NHIS, and for general background information about the Alternative Health Supplements, see ACUYR.

In 2002, if sample adults gave a positive response to PRAGROUPYR (or to the comparable variables PRASELFYR, PRAOTHYR, or PRARITYR, which cover use of other spiritual healing techniques in the past 12 months), they were asked a series of follow-up questions (see PRARITYR). Only sample adults who had used a "healing ritual or sacrament" in the past 12 months (i.e., a "Yes" response in PRARITYR) were asked whether the ritual was used to treat a specific medical condition and, if so, what that condition was (see PRATREAT).

Comparability

PRAGROUPYR is only available for 2002.

Universe

Availability

• 2002

Weights

• 2002 : SAMPWEIGHT