Maintained/created by: NCHS, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Website: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis.htm
Geographic unit of data: U.S. national
Keywords: access to care, adult, alcohol, alternative medicine, arthritis, asthma, cancer, cardiovascular, CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, child, death, demographics, diabetes, diet, disability, exercise, genetic testing, health care coverage, health status, HIV, household, Human Immunodeficiency Virus, immunizations, influenza vaccine, injury, insurance, mental health, mortality, National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey on Disability, nutrition, physical activity, pneumococcal vaccine, pregnancy, private health insurance, public health insurance, smoking, summary statistics, sun protection, tobacco, uninsured, usual place of care, vaccines, vital statistics
Abstract:
Users can download reports and the data set on a range of health topics in the United States. Examples of topics include: vaccinations, insurance coverage, mortality, nutrition and tobacco.
Background
The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) is a part of the National Center for Health Statistics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. NHIS data is on a wide range of health topics and is collected by the U.S. Census Bureau. The NHIS is used to monitor trends in illness and track progress related to the country’s health objectives.The questionnaires contain questions that do not change from year to year, along with supplement questions that vary depending on national interests. Examples of data collected include: alcohol consumption, usual place to get medical care, receipt of vaccinations, psychological distress.
Database Capabilities
Static reports on health statistics are available, and users can export portions of the dataset directly into SAS, SPSS or Stata. Users can also view and download information regarding the methods, including the survey questionnaires. Data is available on the national level and because multiple years are available, users can ascertain health trends.
Data Notes
The survey is designed to cover the civilian, non institutionalized population in the United States and oversamples Black, Hispanic and Asian people. The survey is conducted continuously, and data is typically released a year after collection. The most recent data is from 2009.