Description

HYPSALTNOW reports if the person is now cutting down on salt or sodium in their diet to lower their high blood pressure. Please see Comparability and Universe tabs for changes in the universe between samples.

According to the 2003 Field Representative's Manual, these questions were part of a supplement on heart disease and stroke sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. This supplement was "meant to assess whether a person has received advice from his or her doctor as to how to control high blood pressure, whether the person is currently following that advice, and whether that person has ever followed that advice."

Additional questions included in this supplement address receiving and following advice to make other behavioral changes to lower blood pressure, specifically:

• HYPALCADV

• HYPALCFOL

• HYPALCNOW

• HYPDIETADV

• HYPDIETFOL

• HYPDIETNOW

• HYPEXERADV

• HYPEXERFOL

• HYPEXERNOW

• HYPMEDEV

• HYPMEDNOW

• HYPMEDQUIT

In 1989, this variable was included in Diabetes supplement. For related variables, please use the IPUMS NHIS search function and drop-down menus.

Comparability

Due to changes in question wording and universe, comparability is limited between 1989, 1994 and other samples. In 1989, this question was asked only to persons with confirmed diabetes, regardless of whether they had been diagnosed with hypertension. In 1994, persons who were advised to cut down on salt due to hypertension were included in the universe without an intermediate question about whether they had ever followed the advice. In all other samples, the universe includes only persons who had received the advice for managing high blood pressure and had ever followed that advice.

Universe

Availability

• 1985, 1989-1990, 1994, 1998, 2003, 2008

Weights

• 1989 : PERWEIGHT
• 1985, 1990, 1998, 2003, 2008 : SAMPWEIGHT
• 1994 : SUPP2WT