1. RESEARCH DATA CENTER Types of Data

2. Major NCHS Surveys and Data Systems • National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) • National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) • National Vital Statistics System • National Health Care Surveys (NHCS)

3. National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) • Survey Questions, Physical Examination, Lab Measurements • 5,000 people/year • Examines: diseases, behaviors, genetics, demographics • Over sample: 60+ year olds, Hispanics, African Americans • 2 year cycles: 2005-2006 most recent data • Produces Growth Charts, MMWR, Data Briefs, Health, United States

4. National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) • In-person interview • 35,000 households, 87,500 participants • Purpose: assess health problems, barriers to access and use of health care, evaluate federal health programs • Main strength: displays health characteristics by demographic and socioeconomic characteristics • Current version oversamples Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians • NSFG and the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey both draw from the sampling frame

5. Births Deaths Fetal Deaths Marriages Divorces National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) Linked Birth and Infant Death Data Matched Multiple Birth Data Set National Death Index National Maternal and Infant Health Survey National Mortality Followback Survey Vital Statistics

6. National Health Care Surveys • National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) • National Hospital Ambulatory Hospital Medical Survey (NHAMCS) • National Survey of Ambulatory Surgery (NSAS) • National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS) • National Nursing Home Survey (NNHS) • National Nursing Assistant Survey (NNAS) • National Home and Hospice Care Survey (NHHCS) • National Employer Health Insurance Survey (NEHIS) • National Health Provider Inventory (NHPI)

7. Some Other NCHS Datasets • National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) • National Immunization Survey (NIS) • Longitudinal Study on Aging (LSOA) • State and Local Area Integrated Telephone Survey (SLAITS)

8. Two Types of Data • Public Use – available online for download • Confidential – generally requires use of the RDC

9. Identifying What is Confidential • Look at the codebooks. • Contact a representative from the data system and/or check with a representative from the RDC. • Submit a proposal to the RDC. • Remember what variables are confidential vary by dataset, year, sample size, etc.

10. Reasons to Use Confidential Data • Confidential variables can be used to link two or more datasets, data from other government agencies, researcher-collected data, and other NCHS data systems. • Confidential variables can be used as selection criteria for a study. • Confidential variables can be directly related to your main research question.

11. Examples of RDC-Required Variables • Geographic region (current, at birth) • Dates or equivalent ages • Mortality-linked data • Sensitive information –youth sexuality • Smaller race/ethnic groups • Other information that could lead to identification of study participants

12. Possible Data Sets Medicare SCHIP EPA Linking Variables Person or Household Serial Numbers Geographic Variables Date of Interview Examples of Linking to External Data Sets

13. Linked to Mortality NHIS 1986-2000 LSOA II NHANES I, II, III NNHS 1985 Linked to Medicare NHIS 1994-1998 LSOA II NHANES I, II, III Linked Retirement and Disability NHIS 1994-1998 LSOA II NHANES I, III NNHS 1985 Existing NCHS Linked Datasets

14. Research Data Center • Come to us with your research ideas and we will see if NCHS has the data to support your needs. • Never hesitate to ask! Making the seemingly impossible, possible.