For persons who had received such surgery (i.e., those with a "yes" response in VIT1TSURG), the complementary variable VIT1TSURGTIM indicates whether they received such surgery before, at about the same time, or after they began taking the first vitamin supplement.

The survey question for VIT1TSURG also collected information about the use of other conventional medical treatments (or no conventional treatment) for the condition for which the first vitamin supplement was used the most, including:

• Mental health counseling (VIT1TCOUN)>

• Prescription medications (VIT1TPMED)

• Over-the-counter medications (VIT1TNPMED)

• Physical therapy (VIT1TPT)

• No conventional treatment (VIT1TNOCONV)

For respondents who had taken a second vitamin supplement during the past 30 days (VITMOSUPNO) and had taken that second vitamin supplement to treat or cure a specific health problem or condition (VIT2TREAT), information was similarly collected on whether the person also received surgery or other forms of conventional medical treatment for the condition for which they most used the second vitamin supplement (VIT2TCONMOST). See, for example, VIT2TSURG.

For more information about the full range of variables related to vitamins, see VITANY and VITMO.