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Nationwide All States All Regions Midwest Northeast South West
Survey Items: CVT_USE; CVT_ABEV; CVT_CAEV; CHB_EVR; CHM_USE; CDTEVER1; CDTEVER2; CDTEVER3; CDTEVER4; CDTEVER5; CVT_USM; CVT_ABUM; CVT_CAUM; CHB_USM; CHM_USM; CDT_USM1; CDT_USM2; CDT_USM3; CDT_USM4; CDT_USM5;
Denominator: Children age 4-17 years
Numerator: Children who used one or more CAM products in the past 12 months; Children who ever used CAM products, but not in the past 12 months, Children who never used CAM products
Revisions and Changes: The survey items asking whether the child ever used the specific CAM modalities are new in the 2012 survey.
Additional Notes: The 34 specific CAM modalities are grouped into 3 non-mutually exclusive categories: services, products, and practices. CAM products include herbal or other non-vitamin supplements, vitamins/minerals, homeopathic therapy, and special diets (vegetarian including vegan, macrobiotic, Atkins, Pritikin, Ornish). Specific types of special diets were counted as individual CAM modalities.
Treatment of Unknown Values: Unknown values (responses coded as 'refused', 'don't know', or ‘not ascertained’) are not included in the denominator when calculating prevalence estimates and weighted population counts displayed in the data query results table. Respondents who did not provide a response to any of the questions within the Child CAM Supplement were coded as “not ascertained” (n=195, 1.9% of sample children aged 4-17 years). Weighted population counts are underestimates due to both item nonresponse and unknowns, both of which are excluded from the counts.
History and Development: The Child Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) questionnaire, developed by National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) in collaboration with National Center for Health Statistics was fielded in the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) as a supplement in 2007 and 2012. NHIS has been conducted annually since 1957 and the content of the survey has been updated every 10-15 years. The Child CAM survey instrument was developed based on extensive literature reviews, expert panel input and cognitive interviewing method. Previously validated questions and scales are used when available. In addition to these, the 2012 CAM Supplement questionnaire was updated based on qualitative analysis of the 2007 data and a series of focus groups with experts and family leaders. Respondents’ cognitive understanding of the survey questions is assessed during the pretest phase and revisions made as required. All final data components are verified by NCHS staff prior to public release. For more information about the survey development click here.
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C.I. = 95% Confidence Interval. Percentages and population estimates (Pop.Est.) are weighted to represent child population in US.
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With funding and direction from the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, the National Health Interview Survey Complementary and Alternative Medicine Supplement was conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau under the direction of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics. CAHMI is responsible for the analyses, interpretations, presentations and conclusions included on this site.
Suggested citation format: National Health Interview Survey Complementary and Alternative Medicine Supplement. NHIS-CAM 2012. Data query from the Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative, Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health website. Retrieved [mm/dd/yy] from [www.childhealthdata.org].