Library Guides: Census Data: Health

National Center for Health Statistics

Though not part of the Census Bureau, the National Center for Health Statisttics is a rich source of information about America's health.

Health statistics allow us to:

document the health status of the population and of important subgroups
identify disparities in health status and use of health care by race or ethnicity, socioeconomic status, region, and other population characteristics
describe our experiences with the health care system
monitor trends in health status and health care delivery
identify health problems
support biomedical and health services research
provide information for making changes in public policies and programs
evaluate the impact of health policies and programs

Analysis

Basic allied health statistics and analysis by Gerda Koch
Call Number: MU HEALTH SCIENCES LIBRARY WX 158 .K76b 2008
ISBN: 142832089X
Table of Contents: Statistical terminology and health care data -- Health care overview and patient data collection -- Mathematical review -- Census -- Percent of occupancy -- Length of stay/discharge days -- Hospital mortality rates -- Obstetrical-related rates -- Autopsy rates -- Miscellaneous rates -- Vital statistics data/rates -- Frequency distribution -- Measures of central tendency and variation -- Data presentation.

Reports

Disability
Since the definition of a disability varies, the collection of disability statistics depends on the purpose for which it is being used and the survey collecting the information. While the Census Bureau collects disability data from four household surveys, other agencies also collect disability data.
Health Care
Data is taken from the Economic Census. Data is available for the entire United States and by state.
Health Insurance
The Census Bureau collects health insurance data using three national surveys: the Current Population Survey's Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CSP ASEC), the American Community Survey (ACS) and the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP).
HIV/AIDS Surveillance data base
Information on the AIDS pandemic and on the HIV seroprevalence (infection) in population groups in developing countries is only available in widely scattered small-scale surveys. The data here is a compilation of information from those studies appearing in the medical and scientific literature.
Dynamics of Well-Being
Personal or household income is generally regarded as the single best measure of the degree to which people are "well off." But other factors also contribute to people’s well-being. Other measures gauge how people are faring at the household level. Included are possession of consumer durables, housing and neighborhood conditions, and the meeting of basic needs. Indicators of children’s well-being are used to take a closer account of how well children progress to adulthood.
Behavioral Risk-Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)
The behavioral risk-factor surveillance system (BRFSS) operated for its second year in 1985. BRFSS data were collected from adults in 21 states and the District of Columbia by monthly telephone interviews with use of random-digit-dialing techniques. The interviews were conducted with a standard questionnaire and procedures developed jointly by the state health departments and CDC. The risk factors assessed included self-reported overweight, sedentary lifestyle, uncontrolled hypertension, cigarette smoking, alcohol misuse, and seat belt nonuse for persons 18 years of age and older. The results presented here are weighted to take into account the age, race, and sex distribution of adults in each state, as well as the respondents' probability of selection, and are therefore representative of the adult populations of the participating states.
National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS)
A national survey designed to meet the need for objective, reliable information about the provision and use of ambulatory medical care services in the United States. Findings are based on a sample of visits to non-federally employed office-based physicians who are primarily engaged in direct patient care. Physicians in the specialties of anesthesiology, pathology, and radiology are excluded from the survey. The survey was conducted annually from 1973 to 1981, in 1985, and annually since 1989.
Mortality - Underlying Cause-of-Death - 1994 (MORT)
The vital statistics general mortality data are a fundamental source of demographic, geographic, and cause-of-death information. This is one of the few sources of comparable health-related data for small geographic areas and a long time period in the United States. The data are also used to present the characteristics of those dying in the United States, to determine life expectancy, and to compare mortality trends with other countries. Preliminary and final annual data are available.
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)
This survey has been designed to collect information about the health and diet of people in the United States. This survey teaches us about the health and diet of people in the United States. Over the years, this survey has lead to improvements in the food we eat and the health care we receive.
National Health Interview Survey (NHIS)
Information is collected on all household members. A household adult reports information for a randomly selected child less than 18 years of age in the Child Core questionnaire, and a randomly selected adult reports for him/herself in the Adult Core questionnaire. Questions are designed to retain comparability to previous NHIS surveys for reporting of activity limitation due to physical, mental, or emotional problems. Information on activity limitation is collected on each family member.
National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS)
This survey is designed to collect data on the utilization and provision of ambulatory care services in hospital emergency and outpatient departments. Findings are based on a national sample of visits to the emergency departments and outpatient departments of non-institutional general and short-stay hospitals, exclusive of Federal, military, and Veterans Administration hospitals, located in the 50 States and the District of Columbia. The survey uses a four-stage probability design with samples of geographically defined areas, hospitals within these areas, clinics within hospitals, and patient visits within clinics. Annual data collection began in 1992.

Vital Statistics

Vital Statistics 1890-2003
Annual reports that present detailed vital statistics data, including natality, mortality, marriage and divorce.
1850 Census of Vital Statistics
(1) The cause of death; (2) The age and sex; (3) The color and condition; (4) The nativity; (5) The season of decease; (6) The duration of illness; (7) The occupation of the persons reported to have died in the twelve months preceding.
1880 Census of Vital Statistics (microfilm)
1890 Census of Vital Statistics (microfilm)
1900 Census of Vital Statistics (microfilm)
1940 Census of Vital Statistics (microfilm)

Mortality Data

Mortality data from the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) are a fundamental source of demographic, geographic, and cause-of-death information. This is one of the few sources of health-related data that are comparable for small geographic areas and are available for a long time period in the United States. The data are also used to present the characteristics of those dying in the United States, to determine life expectancy, and to compare mortality trends with other countries.