NCHS: A Blog of the National Center for Health Statistics

NCHS Recognizes National Rural Health Day

Panoramic view of the urban skyline from a grassy hill under a clear blue sky.

Each year, we celebrate National Rural Health Day on the third Thursday of November. One in five people in the United States live in rural areas. Many of these residents face unique challenges that can affect health, such as higher poverty rates and less access to care. National Rural Health Day reminds us of the Read More >

Posted on by Alexandria Griffin

QuickStats: Percentage of Adults Aged ≥18 Years Who Were in Families Having Problems Paying Medical Bills in the Past 12 Months, by Disability Status and Age Group — United States, 2023

Bar graph showing the percentage of individuals with and without disabilities across different age groups. The age groups are divided into "All ages," "18-44," "45-64," and "65 or older." The bars represent the percentage of individuals, with separate bars for those "Without disabilities" in darker shade and "With disabilities" in lighter shade.

In 2023, the percentage of adults aged ≥18 years who were in families having problems paying medical bills in the past 12 months was higher among those with disabilities (21.2%) compared with those without disabilities (9.6%). This pattern was observed across all age groups. Supplementary Table: https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/164154 Source: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Read More >

Posted on by Natalie Young, Julie Weeks, and Nazik Elgaddal

QuickStats: Prevalence of Obesity and Severe Obesity Among Persons Aged 2–19 Years — United States, 1999–2000 Through 2021–2023

Line graph showing trends in obesity and severe obesity from 1999-2000 to August 2021 - August 2023.

From 1999–2000 through August 2021–August 2023, the prevalence of obesity among persons in the United States aged 2–19 years increased from 13.9% to 21.1%, and the prevalence of severe obesity increased from 3.6% to 7.0%. Supplementary Table: https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/164014 Source: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999–2000 through August 2021–August 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/index.htm https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/73/wr/mm7341a5.htm Read More >

Posted on by Samuel Emmerich and Cynthia Ogden

NHANES August 2021–August 2023 Data Released with Obesity Report

Colorful silhouettes of seven adults with obesity. 40% of adults 20 and older had obesity during August 2021–August 2023.

CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics recently released its first wave of data files from the August 2021-August 2023 cycle of the National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). NCHS also published the first report analyzing these data. The report, Obesity and Severe Obesity Prevalence in Adults: United States, August 2021–August 2023, describes recent trends Read More >

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QuickStats: Rates of Emergency Department Visits for Children and Adolescents with Acute Upper Respiratory Infection, by Age Group — United States, 2021–2022

In 2021–2022, the rate for emergency department (ED) visits for children and adolescents with acute upper respiratory infection was 38.6 per 1,000 persons aged <18 years. The ED visit rate was highest for infants aged <1 year (120.5) and decreased by age, with the lowest rate among adolescents aged 12–17 years (14.4). Supplementary Table: https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/162215 Source: Read More >

Posted on by Loredana Santo, Jill Ashman, and Michelle Olton

QuickStats: Percentage of Suicides and Homicides Involving a Firearm Among Persons Aged ≥10 Years, by Age Group — United States, 2022

In 2022, among persons aged ≥10 years, the percentage of suicide deaths involving a firearm was lowest among persons aged 25–44 years (47.4%) and highest among persons aged ≥65 years (70.6%). The percentage of homicide deaths that involved a firearm was highest among persons aged 10–24 years and then decreased with age, from 92.2% among Read More >

Posted on by Matthew Garnett and Sally Curtin

eMKF: A New Tool for Studying Small Populations

Statisticians at the National Center for Health Statistics recently developed a tool to help with the challenge of producing estimates of health conditions and other indicators of health for groups of people that may be less represented in the population. The challenge of studying small populations For researchers who study small populations , measuring health Read More >

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Discover the Latest Additions to NCHS’ Data Query System

Advertisement for NCHS Data Query System. Text reads: 'Need health data? Find stats on more than 120 topics. Learn more at: www.cdc.gov/nchs/dataquery.' Includes CDC logo.

CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics has added more data to our Data Query System (DQS). This tool makes health data easier to find and use. Explore data about more than 120 health topics from multiple national data sources in DQS. Use the system to find national estimates, visualize public health trends, and download formatted Read More >

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New Information Available from Health, United States

The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) recently released new topic summaries on hypertension, prescription drug use, and availability of dentists as part of Health, United States. Additionally, new information was added to data tables on a variety of health topics already available on the Health, United States website. Health, United States integrates data from Read More >

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QuickStats: Percentage of Children and Adolescents Aged ≤17 Years Who Used Telemedicine During the Past 12 Months, by Age Group and Year — United States, 2021–2023

The percentage of children and adolescents aged 0–17 years using telemedicine during the past 12 months declined from 18.3% in 2021 to 14.2% in 2023. Telemedicine use declined across all three age groups during this period. In both 2022 and 2023, telemedicine use increased with age. Supplementary Table: https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/159160 Source: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Read More >

Posted on by Jacqueline Lucas and Xun Wang

QuickStats: Percentage of Adult Day Services Centers That Use Any Telehealth, by U.S. Census Bureau Region — United States, 2022

In 2022, 46% of U.S. adult day services centers used any telehealth tools. Approximately one half of centers in the Northeast and West used any telehealth, compared with approximately one third of centers in the Midwest and South. Supplementary Table: https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/157543 Source: National Center for Health Statistics, National Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Study, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/npals https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/73/wr/mm7330a4.htm Read More >

Posted on by Shannon Kindilien

New Interactive Dashboard and Data File Feature Health Center Data

Two new developments provide more access to data on visits to health centers in the United States. The National Center for Health Statistics’s (NCHS) Division of Health Care Statistics recently launched an interactive dashboard and released a public use data file from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS). These resources feature data collected in Read More >

Posted on by Whitney Anderson

Discovering Teen Health Insights with the CDC’s NHIS-Teen Survey

Screenshot of anxiety symptoms data comparing teens who are and are not sexual or gender minorities

With the release of the new report Perceived Social and Emotional Support Among Teenagers: United States, July 2021 – December 2022 from CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, an important finding stands out: Parents often report that their teens receive higher levels of social and emotional support  compared to what the teens report. The findings Read More >

Posted on by William Vaughn

Hear About NCHS Research at the 2024 Academy Health Annual Research Meeting

NCHS has several presentations and poster sessions at the 2024 Academy Health Annual Research Meeting from June 29 to July 2 at the Baltimore Convention Center. Highlights include: Sunday, June 30 8:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. (Halls A-B, Level 100) The session, The Experience of Physicians Who Use Telemedicine Technology: United States, 2021, will provide Read More >

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QuickStats: Percentage of Current Cigarette Smokers Aged ≥18 Years Who Received Advice from a Health Professional To Quit Smoking, by Sex and Age Group — United States, 2022

In 2022, 42.0% of current cigarette smokers aged ≥18 years received advice from a doctor, dentist, or other health professional about ways to quit smoking. The percentage of current smokers who received advice to quit smoking increased with age. Overall, and for current smokers aged 18–44 years, men were less likely to receive advice on Read More >

Posted on by Yelena Gorina

U.S. Uninsured Rate Drops by 26% Since 2019

A line graph showing the declining trend for uninsured adults aged 18–64 from 2019 through 2022.

The overall number of Americans without health insurance dropped by 8.2 million from 2019 to 2023. These findings are included in a new report by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). The findings are featured in the report, “Health Insurance Coverage: Early Release of Estimates from the National Health Interview Survey, 2023.” It Read More >

Posted on by Brian Tsai

QuickStats: Percentage of Adults Aged ≥25 Years Who Met the 2018 Federal Physical Activity Guidelines for Both Muscle-Strengthening and Aerobic Physical Activity, by Educational Attainment — United States, 2022

In 2022, 22.5% of adults met federal guidelines for both muscle-strengthening and aerobic physical activity. The percentage of adults who met these guidelines increased with increasing educational attainment, from 12.2% among adults who completed high school or less to 33.6% among those with a bachelor’s degree or higher. Supplementary Table: https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/155046 Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Read More >

Posted on by Gelila Haile and Benjamin Zablotsky

QuickStats: Percentage Distribution of Deaths Involving Injuries from Recreational and Nonrecreational Use of Watercraft, by Month — United States, 2020–2022

Percentage Distribution of Deaths Involving Injuries from Recreational and Nonrecreational Use of Watercraft, by Month — United States, 2020–2022

During 2020–2022, a total of 1,481 deaths occurred involving injuries from recreational and nonrecreational use of watercraft. The highest percentage of these deaths (17.4%) occurred in July, with the majority occurring during May–September. Supplementary Table: https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/155045 Source: National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System, Mortality Data, 2020–2022. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/deaths.htm Read More >

Posted on by Matthew Garnett

U.S. Overdose Deaths Decrease in 2023, First Time Since 2018

Prescription bottle with syringe and pills.

Provisional data from CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics indicate there were an estimated 107,543 drug overdose deaths in the United States during 2023—a decrease of 3% from the 111,029 deaths estimated in 2022. This is the first annual decrease in drug overdose deaths since 2018. The data are featured in an interactive web data visualization. Read More >

Posted on by Brian Tsai

Explore NCHS Research at the AAPOR Annual Conference

Researchers from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) will present their work at the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) 79th annual conference being convened May 15–17 at the Hilton Atlanta. The conference brings together researchers to focus on the theme of “Impacting Communities: Surveys, Public Opinion Research, and Engaged Scholarship” and to Read More >

Posted on by Christy HagenTags

Introducing the NCHS Data Query System

Advertisement for NCHS Data Query System. Text reads: 'Need health data? Find stats on more than 120 topics. Learn more at: www.cdc.gov/nchs/dataquery.' Includes CDC logo.

In today’s ever-changing public health landscape, access to comprehensive data is essential for informed decision-making. That’s why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) has launched its newest tool: the Data Query System (DQS). DQS brings together data from major NCHS and external sources into one easy-to-use online tool. Read More >

Posted on by Brian TsaiTags

QuickStats: Percentage of Residential Care Communities That Use Electronic Health Records, by Community Bed Size — United States, 2018, 2020, and 2022

From 2018 to 2022, the percentage of residential care communities (RCCs) using electronic health records (EHRs) increased from 36% to 48%. Use of EHRs increased during this time regardless of RCC size, and larger RCCs were more likely to use EHRs compared with smaller RCCs. Supplementary Table: https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/153378 Source: National Center for Health Statistics, National Post-acute and Read More >

Posted on by Christine Caffrey and Manisha Sengupta

Second Round of Health Data Released by NCHS Rapid Surveys System

CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics has released the second round of survey data from the Rapid Surveys System. This survey includes topics such as: ADHD Chronic Pain Contraception Use Fit Testing of Hearing Protection Devices Illegal Drugs and Naloxone (Narcan) Awareness Online Connectedness Swimming Technology-facilitated Sexual Violence Topics included in Rapid Surveys will vary Read More >

Posted on by Brian TsaiTags

New National Hospital Care Survey Public Use Files Released

Medical doctor or physician staff in white gown uniform with stethoscope.

The National Center for Health Statistics’s (NCHS’s) Division of Health Care Statistics has officially released the 2020 National Hospital Care Survey public use data files. These files include detailed data on inpatient stays and emergency department visits to hospitals across the United States. The release of these data files is one of several historic achievements Read More >

Posted on by Whitney Anderson

U.S. Fertility Rate Drops to Another Historic Low

Image on left is a pregnant woman silhouette. Abstract red and green flowers form her hair and cover her body. Text says the provisional general fertility rate declined 3% in 2023 from 2022.

The general fertility rate in the United States decreased by 3% from 2022, reaching a historic low. This marks the second consecutive year of decline, following a brief 1% increase from 2020 to 2021. From 2014 to 2020, the rate consistently decreased by 2% annually. These statistics and others from provisional 2023 birth data were Read More >

Posted on by Brian Tsai