Category: Health Topics
New Reports Examine Health Insurance Coverage in 2022
NCHS has released two new National Health Statistics Reports, “Geographic Variation in Health Insurance Coverage: United States 2022,” and “Demographic Variation in Health Insurance Coverage: United States 2022,” that describe the national estimates of different types of health insurance coverage and estimates of being uninsured. Estimates are presented by selected sociodemographic and geographic characteristics. Overall, Read More >
Posted on byQuickStats: Percentage of Adults Aged ≥18 Years Who Received Care at Home from a Friend or Family Member During the Past 12 Months, by Age Group — National Health Interview Survey
During 2021, 11.9% of adults aged ≥18 years received care at home from a friend or family member during the past 12 months. The percentage of adults who received care during the past 12 months was similar among adults aged 18–44 years (9.8%) and 45–64 years (10.5%), then increased with age to 13.8% among those Read More >
Posted on byNew Detailed Race and Ethnicity Data Query System
NCHS has released a new interactive data query system that allows users to search for data on adults about selected health topics by detailed race and ethnicity groups and subgroups in the United States. The new system provides estimates as three-year averages based on 2019-2021 final data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). The three-year averages Read More >
Posted on byFrom 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 byDr. Anne Driscoll: Liberia Deployment “Unforgettable and Enlightening”
NCHS Senior Service Fellow Dr. Anne Driscoll deployed to Liberia from November 16 to December 12, 2014, as part of CDC’s Ebola response. She partnered with the Bomi County health team, World Health Organization, United Nations Children’s Fund, Global Communities, International Organization for Migration, Liberian Red Cross Society, and other nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to improve Read More >
Posted on byDr. Joseph Woodring Returns from Battling Ebola in Liberia
NCHS Senior Medical Officer Dr. Joseph Woodring (LCDR, USPHS) deployed to Liberia from October 15 to November 14, 2014, as part of CDC’s Ebola Response. Serving on two county health teams (Nimba and Sinoe), he worked alongside health care workers from Liberia’s Ministry of Health, World Health Organization, United Nations Children’s Fund, Africare, Global Communities, 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 byHealth, United States, 2013 explores the Nation’s health status; special feature on use of prescription drugs
The National Center for Health Statistics announces the release of Health, United States, 2013. Health, United States is the annual report on the health status of the Nation, submitted by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to the President and Congress. The 2013 report includes a rich compilation of health data through 2012 from 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 byMilestones and Honors: CDC Honors Dr. Sandra Decker
Dr. Sandra Decker, Distinguished Consultant, Office of Analysis and Epidemiology (OAE), was honored by CDC’s Health Economics Research Group with the 2013 Kaafee Billah Memorial Award for outstanding health economics research. The award ceremony took place on January 28, 2014, at the National Center for Health Statistics campus in Hyattsville, MD. Dr. Scott Grosse, CDC’s Read More >
Posted on byAsk the Expert: Dr. Kathryn Porter
Since 1991, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) has collected and stored genetic specimens for future studies. Among other considerations, whether, when, and for which biologic measures the results should be reported back to individual survey respondents is a growing concern. NCHS has developed an action plan for reporting individual results; however, the Read More >
Posted on byAsk the Expert: Dr. Julia Holmes, Health, United States
Since 1975, Health, United States has presented national trends on the health of the Nation, including infant mortality, life expectancy, morbidity and health status, risk factors such as smoking and obesity, utilization of health care, health insurance coverage, supply of health care resources, and national expenditures for health. Compiled annually by the National Center for Read More >
Posted on byEarly Release Program Races to Publish Timely Survey Results
From among the many challenges that the National Health Insurance Survey (NHIS) has faced over the past 56 years since it first went into the field, one of the most daunting has been how to publish valid results in a timely manner without compromising the quality of the data. For Dr. Jane Gentleman and her 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 byNHANES’ MEC Collects Health Data
Faye McDonald Smith The Mobile Exam Center (MEC) is an important part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which, since 1999, is conducted annually to assess the health and nutritional status of adults and children in the United States. NHANES conducts interviews at the home and exams at the MEC. These data Read More >
Posted on byDirector’s Corner: The Value of Collaborations
One of the more gratifying aspects of working at NCHS is the extraordinary opportunity to collaborate with researchers across the government. This is well illustrated by the release of two important reports. The first is America’s Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2012. As I say in the press release, the findings in Read More >
Posted on byNew Survey Measures the Fitness of America’s Youth
The NHANES National Youth Fitness Survey (NYFS), conducted as a separate survey alongside the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), is receiving an enthusiastic response from its young participants. For the NYFS team in the Division of Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, attaining good response rates is critical to the program’s success. The NYFS, funded Read More >
Posted on byNew Interactive Report
Interactive Health, United States, 2011, In Brief, is a new interactive version of Health, United States, 2011, In Brief . It was developed jointly with the National Library of Medicine (NLM) of the National Institutes of Health. The new interactive report provides text, charts, and tables from Health, United States, 2011. Additional data from the full Health, Read More >
Posted on byAsk the Expert: Dr. David Huang
[Editor’s note: NCHS is responsible for monitoring and analyzing data for the HHS Healthy People program. In addition, about one-third of the program’s objectives use NCHS-collected data. We spoke with Dr. David Huang of the Office of Analysis and Epidemiology (OAE) about the Healthy People program.] Q. Healthy People 2010: Final Review comes out 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 byOn the Path to Understanding Autism
Data Brief 97, “Diagnostic History and Treatment of School-aged Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Special Health Care Needs,” published in May 2012, is available for download from the NCHS website. A collaborative effort between NCHS, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), and the federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) has provided Read More >
Posted on byNational Leaders in Health Research to Address National Conference on Health Statistics
Three nationally recognized leaders in the fields of health care research, statistics, and policy will deliver keynote addresses to the 2012 National Conference on Health Statistics, held August 6-8, at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington, D.C. The Conference is a biennial event produced by NCHS. Dr. Harold Luft, of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation 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 >
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