The condition identified in ABPSELCON is determined using the following guidelines:

• If spastic colon, functional bowel, irritable colon, or irritable bowel syndrome are mentioned as any of the 5 conditions either diagnosed by the doctor or identified by the respondent as causing the pain, questions referring to abdominal pain are asked about whichever of these conditions is mentioned first.

• If one or more conditions are mentioned, but none of them are spastic colon, functional bowel, irritable colon or irritable bowel syndrome, questions referring to abdominal pain are asked about the condition the respondent identified as causing the most pain during the past 12 months, unless this condition is a "non-digestive" condition.

• If the condition causing the most pain during the past 12 months is a non-digestive condition, the remaining questions are asked about the first condition mentioned that IS a digestive condition. Conditions that are considered non-digestive are: arthritis, back problems, bladder, kidneys, menstruation, "other female trouble", pregnancy, and prostate conditions.

• If the respondent does not know what condition caused the abdominal pain, ABPSELCON is left blank and questions are asked without regard to a specific condition.

• If all conditions mentioned are non-digestive, questions referring to abdominal pain are not asked.