Description

RELTSKINA indicates whether the person used a relaxation technique to treat skin problems, other than eczema or skin allergies. Please see the Comparability and Universe tabs for more information on how this variable is constructed and changes over time.

Comparability

Prior to 2012, in universe persons were asked about a series of specific health problems, symptoms, or conditions they may have treated with different complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies. Beginning in 2012, persons were instead asked to select three of sixteen therapies that were most important and only asked the series of questions related to treating health problems, symptoms, or conditions about these top three therapies. Persons who did not include a relaxation technique among their top three CAM therapies did not answer follow up questions for this therapy beginning in 2012 and are reported as responding "no". For more information on the construction of this variable for 2012-forward, please see TABDOM1.

Additionally, changes in the available response categories respondents could report treating using a CAM therapy over time may limit the comparability of this variable. The inclusion of different skin problems in the condition list may affect whether or not persons reported their conditions as the general "skin conditions" or under a more specific category.

Universe

Availability

• 2002, 2007, 2012

Weights

• 2002, 2007 : SAMPWEIGHT
• 2012 : SUPP4WT