Publications and Information Products from the National Center for Health Statistics

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Current Publications

Data Briefs

Data briefs are statistical publications that provide information about current public health topics in a straightforward format. Each report takes a complex data subject and summarizes it into text and graphics that provide readers with easily comprehensible information in a compact publication.

Early Releases of Selected Estimates from the NHIS

The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) Early Release Program provides very timely estimates of key health and health-related indicators through three reports:

  • Selected Estimates Based on Data From the National Health Interview Survey is published quarterly and provides estimates of 15 selected measures of health.
  • Health Insurance Coverage: Estimates From the National Health Interview Survey is published quarterly and provides additional estimates of health insurance coverage by selected demographic characteristics.
  • Wireless Substitution: Estimates From the National Health Interview Survey is published in May and December of each year.

Health-E-Stats

  • Internet-only releases on current and timely health topics
  • Features highlights from all NCHS data systems

Health, United States

  • Compendium of health status, health care resource use, and vital statistics from HHS agencies
  • Annual report of about 500 pages

Life Tables

  • Decennial volumes every 10 years issued with one volume for each state
  • Life expectancy for the United States by age
  • Issued annually
  • About 20 pages

National Health Statistics Reports

  • Provide annual data summaries
  • Present analyses of health topics
  • Present new information on methods or measurement issues

National Vital Statistics Reports

  • Provisional statistics for birth, death, marriage, and divorce
  • Four to six special reports are issued per year
  • Special reports cover final data on births for the previous year and special topic analyses

Vital and Health Statistics Series

  • Each series presents data analyses for a data collection system or a family of related systems
  • Some series include annual issues, other reports are focused on special analysis, others offer summaries of annual surveys
  • Usually 30 – 400 pages

Vital Statistics Rapid Release

  • Quarterly Provisional Estimates
  • Vital Statistics Rapid Release Reports
  • Focused surveillance activities
  • State and national provisional control counts of births, deaths and infant deaths based on a current flow of vital statistics data from state vital records offices

Other Publications

  • Proceedings of NCHS sponsored or cosponsored conferences
  • One time analysis of special topics
  • Guidance for obtaining or (for health professionals) completing birth or death certificates

Historic and Discontinued Publications

Advance Data

Notice: Effective January 2008 Advance Data from Vital and Health Statistics (AD) has been renamed National Health Statistics Reports (NHSR).

  • Timely analyses of data from surveys and data collection systems
  • About 20 issued per year, on irregular time basis
  • Usually 8-24 pages

Healthy People 2000

  • Annual report presents statistical tracking of progress towards goals
  • Two newsletters issued from time to time: Statistical Notes present special topics; Statistics and Surveillance presents technical collection topics

Monthly Vital Statistics Reports

Notice: Effective August 1998, the Monthly Vital Statistics Report (MVSR) has been renamed the National Vital Statistics Reports (NVSR).

  • Monthly issues of birth, death, marriage, and divorce provisional statistics
  • Four to six supplements per year including final data for the previous year, final data for births, final data for deaths, and special topic analyses from time to time
  • Detailed reports of births and deaths based on preliminary data produced biannually. For data through 1994, an annual summary of provisional data was published

Public Health Service Publications

These reports are the precursors of the Vital and Health Statistics Series 1, 2, 10, and 11 reports, but they are distinct reports.

Vital Statistics of the United States

  • Final, detailed data on birth, death, marriage and divorce
  • Birth and death bound volumes published yearly 1960-1993
  • Bound books, death volume is divided into two books
  • Prior to 1960 vital statistics rates were published in two summary volumes 1900-1940 and 1940-1960
  • Data on births and deaths published only in electronic format beginning 1994

Additional Resources

Bibliographies Available on the NCHS Website

  • Compilation of bibliographies for various surveys and data collection systems of the National Center for Health Statistics

Citations for NCHS Publications and Electronic Media

  • Instructions on citing publications and electronic media found on the NCHS website

Errata List

  • Changes or revisions to previously published reports

Listservs

  • Electronic distribution lists (listservs) from the National Center for Health Statistics