Codes and Frequencies
Description
For sample adults age 18+ in 2007 and sample children under 18 in 2007 who had used a relaxation technique in the past 12 months (RELBRETHYR, RELGIMYR, RELMEDYR, or RELRELAXYR) and had used a relaxation technique to treat a specific health problem or condition (RELTREAT), RELTCONST indicates whether the person had used a relaxation technique to treat constipation needing medication.
Related Variables
Constipation needing medication was one of 31 possible specific conditions that both sample adults and sample children could report treating with a relaxation technique.
The other such conditions such are:
- Attention Deficit Disorder (RELTADD, 2007 only)
- anxiety (RELTANX, 2007 only)
- arthritis (RELTARTH, 2007 only)
- asthma (RELTASTH)
- autism (RELTAUT, 2007 only)
- cancer (RELTCANC)
- head or chest cold (RELTCOLD)
- depression (RELTDEPRES, 2007 only)
- diabetes (RELTDIAB)
- allergy to food (RELTFALL)
- influenza or pneumonia (RELTFLU, 2007 only)
- gum disease (RELTGUM, 2007 only)
- hay fever (RELTHAY)
- hearing problem (RELTHEAR)
- insomnia (RELTINSOM)
- menstrual problems (RELTMENST)
- migraine or severe headache (RELTMIG)
- other developmental problem (RELTODD)
- other lung or breathing problem (RELTOLUNG)
- other musculoskeletal problem (RELTOMUSC, 2007 only)
- phobias (RELTPHOBIA, 2007 only)
- acid reflux (RELTREFLUX, 2007 only)
- regular headaches (RELTREGHEAD, 2007 only)
- mental retardation (RELTRET)
- seizures (RELTSEIZ)
- sinusitis (RELTSINUS)
- urinary problem (RELTURIN)
- vision problem (RELTVISION)
- weight problem (RELTWEIGHT)
- other (RELTOTH1)
Additionally, there are 72 other conditions sample adults only could report treating with a relaxation technique, and 28 other conditions that could be reported for sample children only. For the full list of conditions, see RELTREAT.
Relaxation techniques are one of 16 modalities of alternative medicine that were included in the 2002 and 2007 Alternative Health Supplements. Persons could report treating constipation needing medication by 15 of those methods. (The omitted alternative method is prayer, which was included as a treatment for specific health problems in the 2002 survey only. See PRASELFEV for more information.) Analysts interested in the treatment of constipation needing medication by other alternative therapies should see RELMEDYR for the full list of alternative medicine treatments and a summary of other relaxation technique-related questions, as well as definitions.
Comparability
This variable is only available for 2007. However, the questions wording differs slightly between sample adults and sample children.
Sample adults were asked, "For what health problems or conditions did you use a relaxation technique?" The question wording for sample children emphasizes that the relaxation technique treatment must have been used within the past 12 months: "DURING THE PAST 12 MONTHS, for what health problems or conditions did [fill: sample child's name] use a relaxation technique?" This difference in question wording is minimized, however, because the questions for sample adults preceding RELTCONST (RELBRETHYR, RELGIMYR, RELMEDYR, RELRELAXYR, RELSTRESYR, or RELSUPYR and RELNO) did specify the 12 month time frame. Persons were only asked the question for RELTCONST if they had earlier indicated that they had in fact used a relaxation technique during the past 12 months.
A variable for the treatment of bowel problems or constipation with a relaxation technique (RELTBOWL) is available for 2002.
Universe
- 2007: Sample adults age 18+ and sample children under 18 who have used a relaxation technique during the past 12 months and have used a relaxation technique for a specific health problem or condition.
Availability
- 2007
Weights
- 2007 : SAMPWEIGHT