Codes and Frequencies
Description
For sample adults in 2000 and 2005 who had taken a multi-vitamin during at least 1 month of the past 12 months (VITAMULTV and VITAMULTVMO), VITAMULTVTP reports the time period ("days per week," "days per month," or "other") respondents used to report how frequently they had taken calcium during the relevant months.
In both years, interviewers elicited these responses by asking, "During [the/those] month(s), about how many [days [per week]/days per month] did you take multi-vitamins?" VITAMULTVTP must be interpreted in conjunction with VITAMULTVNO, which reports respondents' answers to the question in terms of number of days.
Related Variables
For 2000 only, the National Center for Health Statistics recoded data from VITAMULTVNO and VITAMULTVTP to create two new variables with consistent time units: Number of days per week took a multi-vitamin during the relevant months of the past 12 months (VITAMULTVDWK), and number of days per month took a multi-vitamin during the relevant months of the past 12 months (VITAMULTVDMO). VITAMULTVDMO is also available for 1992 and 1987, when it was asked as a direct question.
Variables similar to VITAMULTVTP are available for the following vitamin/mineral supplements (with years indicating availability):
- Beta carotene (VITABETATP, 2005)
- Calcium (VITACALCTP, 2000, 2005)
- Vitamin A (VITAMINATP, 2000)
- Vitamin C (VITAMINCTP, 2000)
- Vitamin E (VITAMINETP, 2000, 2005)
- Selenium (VITASELNTP, 2005)
For more information on the full range of variables related to vitamins, see VITANY.
Comparability
VITAMULTVTP is fully comparable for 2000 and 2005.
However, the instructions to interviewers differed slightly between 2000 and 2005 for the screening question VITAMULTV (see the associated variable description), which may in turn affect the frequencies (i.e., the number of "not in universe" cases) for VITAMULTVTP.
Universe
- 2000; 2005: Sample adults who took multi-vitamins in past 12 months.
Availability
- 2000, 2005
Weights
- 2000, 2005 : SAMPWEIGHT
