Category: NVSS
From Once a Year to On Demand, DVS Rewrites the Rules of Mortality Surveillance
Suppose, after years of being able to look back and see only where you had been, you were suddenly able to see exactly where you are, right now, in a clearer, more revealing light. That’s a fair description of the position the Division of Vital Statistics (DVS) finds itself in. Thanks to innovative approaches to data warehousing, Read More >
Posted on byThe Birth Certificate (Finally) Goes National
According to Joyce Martin, M.P.H., lead of the birth team in the Reproductive Statistics Branch, Division of Vital Statistics, a transition that began more than a decade-and-a-half ago will soon be completed, and a new era in national birth certificate data will begin. By the time we ring in 2015, all of America’s 50 states and Read More >
Posted on byNews Brief: Older Women, First Births
A recent NCHS Data Brief, drawing on data collected through the National Vital Statistics System, has received nationwide media attention for its findings on first-time births to older mothers. Data Brief No. 152, “First Births to Older Women Continue to Rise,” found significant increases over the past four decades in the average age of women Read More >
Posted on byDirector’s Corner—NCHS and Public Health
Monday, April 7, marks the beginning of National Public Health Week. For the past 20 years, the American Public Health Association has observed National Public Health Week as a time to recognize the contributions of public health and highlight issues that are important to improving our nation’s health. This makes it a good time reflect Read More >
Posted on byNews Brief: Teen Pregnancy, and Sedentary Time and Disability
Data collected through NCHS’ National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) and National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were used as the foundation for two important studies released this year that have attracted significant national media attention. Teen Pregnancy and MTV In January, the National Bureau of Economic Research released its paper, “Media Influences on Read More >
Posted on byCharles Rothwell Named NCHS Director
Charles Rothwell has been appointed Director of the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), the Nation’s principal health statistics agency and a part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Mr. Rothwell succeeds Dr. Edward Sondik, who retired as NCHS Director in April, 2013. He becomes the Center’s seventh director since its inception Read More >
Posted on byPublic-use Data Files Program Balances Data Demand and Confidentiality
NCHS’ public-use data file service gives researchers access to datasets, documentation, and questionnaires from NCHS surveys and data collection systems. Free and downloadable from the NCHS website, public-use data files allow researchers to manipulate the data in a format appropriate for their analyses. Dr. Eve Powell-Griner, NCHS Confidentiality Officer, says public-use data files are central Read More >
Posted on byInternational Statistics Program Takes a Global View of Health
At the National Center for Health Statistics’s offices in Hyattsville, Md., one of the busiest and most collaborative programs has a distinctly global mission. The International Statistics Program (ISP), under director Dr. Sam Notzon, gives NCHS a presence beyond our national borders, actively supporting NCHS programs and working with international organizations to improve the collection Read More >
Posted on byNosologists: What Do They Do and Why Is It Important?
“How many causes of death are there?” The question makes the experts from the Division of Vital Statistics (DVS) share looks and smiles as they point towards enormous binders. A death certificate often includes a series of conditions that led to the death of an individual. Each condition has a code and is tracked on Read More >
Posted on by2012 National Conference on Health Statistics
More than 1,000 attendees from federal and regional governments, academia, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector converged on the Renaissance Washington DC Downtown Hotel August 6–8 for the 2012 National Conference on Health Statistics. Plenary Session Speakers Address Health, Statistical Challenges National leaders in statistics, health research, and health policy shared the stage at Read More >
Posted on byIn the News
Consumer Reports Cites NHANES Research in Articles on Arsenic in Food, Juice An in-depth report in the November 2012 issue of Consumer Reports relies extensively on data collected by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The report, “Arsenic in your food,” exposes the presence of arsenic, a potent human carcinogen, in nearly every food product category—particularly rice and rice-based Read More >
Posted on byAsk the Expert: Dr. Brady Hamilton
Data Brief 89, “Birth Rates for U.S. Teenagers Reach Historic Lows for All Age and Ethnic Groups,” published in April 2012, is available for download from the NCHS website. Birth rates for U.S. teenagers have reached historic lows for all age and ethnic groups, according to a recent NCHS Data Brief. We spoke with Read More >
Posted on byIn the News
The New York Times Looks at Children and Sugar The New York Times highlighted the work of senior epidemiologist Dr. Cynthia L. Ogden and her team in their coverage of children and sugar consumption. The March 19 article, “Added Sugars Pile Up on Children’s Plates,” covers data and findings from Data Brief 87, Consumption of Read More >
Posted on byMilestones and Honors
Dr. Nathaniel Schenker Elected American Statistical Association 2014 President The American Statistical Association (ASA), the world’s largest community of statisticians, has elected NCHS’s Dr. Nathaniel Schenker to serve as ASA’s 109th president. Dr. Schenker will serve as president-elect in 2013 and become president on January 1, 2014. He formerly served as the association’s vice president. Read More >
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