Description

For sample children in 2007 who had taken one or more vitamin supplements during the past 30 days (VITMO) and had taken the first vitamin supplement to treat a specific health problem or condition (VIT1TREAT), VIT1TSICKL indicates whether the child had used a vitamin supplement to treat sickle cell anemia.

Sickle cell anemia was one of 29 possible specific conditions that sample children (but not sample adults) could report treating with vitamin supplements. The other such conditions are:

• abdominal pain (VIT1TABDOM)

• acne (VIT1TACNE)

• anemia -- children (VIT1TANEMC)

• back or neck pain (VIT1TBNPAIN)

• colitis (VIT1TCOLIT)

• congenital heart disease (VIT1TCONGHD)

• Down syndrome (VIT1TDOWN)

• ear infections (VIT1TEARINF)

• eczema or skin allergy (VIT1TECZEM)

• allergy to food (VIT1TFALL)

• fatigue (VIT1TFATIG)

• fever (VIT1TFEVER)

• cystic fibrosis (VIT1TFIBROS)

• incontinence (VIT1TINCON)

• muscular dystrophy (VIT1TMUSCD)

• neurological problems (VIT1TNEUROL)

• other allergies -- children (VIT1TOALLC)

• other heart conditions -- children (VIT1TOHARTC)

• other chronic pain (VIT1TOTHPAIN)

• cerebral palsy (VIT1TPALSY)

• chicken pox (VIT1TPOX)

• respiratory allergy (VIT1TRALL)

• other skin problems--children (VIT1TSKINC)

• non-strep sore throat (VIT1TSORET)

• stammering or stuttering (VIT1TSTAM)

• strep throat or tonsillitis (VIT1TSTREP)

• nausea or vomiting (VIT1TVOMIT)

• warts (VIT1TWART)

There are 30 other conditions that both sample children and sample adults could report treating with vitamin supplements. For the full list of conditions, see VIT1TREAT.

Persons taking more than one vitamin supplement during the past 30 days were also asked whether their second vitamin supplement was used to treat a specific problem or condition (VIT2TREAT) and, if so, what was that condition. Similarly, persons taking herbal supplements during the past 30 days (HERMO) were asked whether those herbal supplements were used to treat a specific condition (see HER1TREAT and HER2TREAT).

VIT1MOST reports the specific first vitamin supplement (out of 20 possible vitamins) that was taken most often by the respondent. Analysts interested in the treatment of sickle cell anemia by other vitamin or herbal supplements should see the related variables VIT2TSICKL, HER1TSICKL, and HER2TSICKL. The corresponding variables VIT2MOST, HER1MOST, and HER2MOST indicate which vitamin or herbal supplement was taken.

Sample adults, but not sample children, were also asked about their use of vitamin supplements to prevent (rather than to treat) health problems or conditions (VIT1PREV and VIT2PREV). Because sickle cell anemia was a condition recognized only for sample children, there is no variable on the use of vitamin supplements to prevent sickle cell anemia. For more information on the full range of variables related to the use of vitamin supplements, see VITMO.

Comparability

VIT1TSICKL is only available for 2007.

Universe

Availability

• 2007

Weights

• 2007 : SAMPWEIGHT