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Round 1 Topic: Air Cleaners and Purifiers
Rapid Surveys from the National Center for Health Statistics collect timely, relevant data on topics of public health importance. Surveys are conducted several times a year using probability-based commercial online panels. Each survey includes a unique set of questions about different public health topics. Data collection for Round 1 occurred during August 2023.
This page includes estimates in dashboard and table formats. Estimates for home ventilation device use include the percentage of adults ages 18 and older who used a portable air cleaner or purifier in the home, a portable air cleaner or purifier with a HEPA filter, and the reasons these ventilation devices were used or not used.
Select the buttons at the top of the dashboard to view bar chart and data table. Use the drop-down menus to show data for selected indicators or demographic variables.
| Never heard of a HEPA filter unit | Didn’t think a HEPA filter unit was needed | HEPA filter units are too expensive | HEPA filter units are too noisy | Couldn’t find a HEPA unit or filter in stores or online | Some other reason | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent (95% confidence interval) | ||||||
| Total | 29.6 (24.8–34.7) | 38.3 (33.3–43.6) | 46.0 (40.6–51.4) | 14.5 (10.8–18.9) | 13.1 (9.9–16.9) | 29.0 (24.3–34.0) |
| Age group | ||||||
| 18–44 | 31.9 (24.9–39.7) | 32.6 (25.6–40.2) | 42.7 (34.8–50.8) | 13.9 (8.9–20.3) | 15.5 (10.8–21.2) | 24.4 (18.0–31.7) |
| 45–64 | 25.4 (18.5–33.3) | 41.1 (32.2–50.4) | 48.9 (39.6–58.2) | 14.1 (8.2–22.1) | 9.8 (5.3–16.1) | 30.9 (23.0–39.7) |
| 65 years and older | 29.0 (19.2–40.6) | 52.6 (41.0–64.0) | 51.9 (40.4–63.2) | 17.4 (8.8–29.5) | * | 40.9 (30.0–52.5) |
| Gender | ||||||
| Male | 29.1 (22.5–36.4) | 37.7 (30.8–45.0) | 44.3 (36.7–52.2) | 14.1 (9.2–20.3) | 11.4 (7.6–16.2) | 24.8 (19.0–31.3) |
| Female | 30.1 (23.3–37.6) | 39.0 (31.5–46.9) | 47.8 (40.3–55.3) | 15.0 (9.5–21.9) | 15.0 (9.9–21.4) | 33.7 (26.5–41.4) |
| Race and Hispanic origin | ||||||
| Hispanic | 22.5 (13.6–33.6) | 29.0 (18.3–41.8) | 49.2 (37.3–61.3) | 18.1 (9.2–30.6) | 11.1 (5.5–19.3) | 23.3 (14.7–33.9) |
| Black or African American only, non–Hispanic | 35.3 (23.9–48.1) | 28.0 (18.1–39.7) | 29.7 (19.5–41.6) | * | 12.9 (6.8–21.6) | 22.4 (13.5–33.6) |
| White only, non–Hispanic | 28.5 (22.4–35.1) | 44.1 (36.8–51.6) | 50.8 (43.6–58.1) | 14.6 (10.1–20.2) | 13.3 (9.0–18.7) | 34.3 (27.6–41.6) |
| Other single or multiple races, non–Hispanic | * | * | * | * | * | * |
| Home ownership status | ||||||
| Owned or being bought | 28.7 (22.7–35.4) | 43.3 (36.8–50.1) | 44.5 (37.9–51.3) | 14.6 (10.3–19.9) | 12.0 (8.4–16.5) | 27.4 (21.9–33.4) |
| Rented | 31.0 (22.3–40.8) | 27.6 (19.9–36.5) | 50.3 (40.7–60.0) | 16.8 (9.5–26.5) | 16.2 (9.7–24.8) | 31.6 (22.4–41.9) |
| Occupied without payment of cash rent | * | * | * | – | * | * |
| Nativity | ||||||
| U.S.–born | 29.9 (24.2–36.0) | 40.3 (34.4–46.4) | 47.6 (41.4–53.8) | 14.2 (10.2–19.0) | 12.1 (8.6–16.4) | 32.2 (26.7–38.2) |
| Foreign–born | * | * | * | * | * | * |
| Unknown nativity | 27.7 (17.3–40.2) | 29.7 (18.6–42.9) | 37.3 (26.2–49.5) | * | 12.7 (6.7–21.2) | 21.1 (13.4–30.8) |
| Presence of children in household | ||||||
| Any | 32.3 (24.1–41.4) | 33.0 (25.1–41.7) | 38.0 (29.8–46.8) | 14.2 (8.5–21.8) | 15.9 (10.3–23.0) | 26.0 (18.7–34.4) |
| None | 27.8 (22.0–34.2) | 41.8 (35.4–48.5) | 51.2 (44.3–58.0) | 14.7 (10.0–20.6) | 11.2 (7.7–15.5) | 30.9 (25.1–37.3) |
*Estimate is not shown, as it does not meet NCHS standards of reliability.
–Quantity zero.
NOTES: HEPA = High–Efficiency Particulate Absorbing [filter]. All estimates shown meet the NCHS standards of reliability. See technical notes for more details.
SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, Rapid Surveys System, Round 1, August 2023.
| To remove dust, pollen, mold, or other allergens from the air | To remove smoke particles from the air | To remove virus particles that people exhale | For some other reason | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent (95% confidence interval) | ||||
| Total | 88.8 (87.1–90.3) | 38.3 (36.0–40.7) | 51.6 (49.3–54.0) | 36.5 (34.3–38.8) |
| Home ownership status | ||||
| Owned or being bought | 90.9 (89.1–92.4) | 33.6 (31.0–36.3) | 48.9 (46.1–51.7) | 35.8 (33.1–38.5) |
| Rented | 84.9 (81.1–88.2) | 49.8 (45.4–54.3) | 59.1 (54.6–63.5) | 38.5 (33.9–43.2) |
| Occupied without payment of cash rent | * | * | * | * |
| Nativity | ||||
| U.S.–born | 90.1 (88.3–91.7) | 34.8 (32.3–37.3) | 49.9 (47.2–52.5) | 37.4 (34.9–40.0) |
| Foreign–born | 82.1 (75.2–87.7) | 49.4 (41.5–57.3) | 54.4 (46.5–62.1) | 34.5 (27.0–42.5) |
| Unknown nativity | 86.7 (81.4–91.0) | 47.3 (40.5–54.3) | 57.5 (50.8–64.0) | 34.1 (28.8–39.6) |
| Presence of children in household | ||||
| Any | 87.3 (84.1–90.0) | 39.5 (35.4–43.8) | 55.4 (51.2–59.5) | 40.5 (36.3–44.7) |
| None | 89.6 (87.6–91.3) | 37.6 (35.0–40.3) | 49.6 (46.8–52.4) | 34.4 (31.7–37.1) |
*Estimate is not shown, as it does not meet NCHS standards of reliability.
NOTES: All estimates shown meet the NCHS standards of reliability. See technical notes for more details.
SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, Rapid Surveys System, Round 1, August 2023.
| Didn’t think one was needed | Too expensive | Too noisy | Some other reason | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent (95% confidence interval) | ||||
| Total | 66.3 (64.5–68.1) | 59.0 (57.3–60.7) | 30.2 (28.6–31.8) | 22.4 (21.0–24.0) |
| Home ownership status | ||||
| Owned or being bought | 71.0 (69.1–72.9) | 55.6 (53.6–57.6) | 32.0 (30.1–34.0) | 24.5 (22.8–26.4) |
| Rented | 55.8 (52.1–59.4) | 66.4 (63.0–69.7) | 25.2 (22.3–28.3) | 17.9 (15.2–20.8) |
| Occupied without payment of cash rent | * | 67.7 (53.0–80.2) | * | * |
| Nativity | ||||
| U.S.–born | 66.6 (64.7–68.5) | 58.0 (56.0–59.8) | 29.8 (28.1–31.6) | 23.4 (21.7–25.1) |
| Foreign–born | 70.8 (64.4–76.6) | 58.8 (52.0–65.3) | 37.8 (31.4–44.6) | 25.2 (19.5–31.6) |
| Unknown nativity | 62.5 (57.0–67.8) | 64.3 (59.2–69.1) | 28.3 (23.3–33.7) | 16.3 (12.4–20.7) |
| Presence of children in household | ||||
| Any | 63.0 (59.7–66.3) | 65.9 (62.5–69.1) | 28.4 (25.2–31.7) | 19.1 (16.3–22.1) |
| None | 67.7 (65.7–69.7) | 56.1 (54.0–58.1) | 30.9 (29.0–32.9) | 23.8 (22.1–25.6) |
*Estimate is not shown, as it does not meet NCHS standards of reliability.
NOTES: All estimates shown meet the NCHS standards of reliability. See technical notes for more details.
SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, Rapid Surveys System, Round 1, August 2023.
Explore Rapid Surveys System estimates by health topic.
See the technical notes [PDF – 68 KB] for more information on these measures.
Data collected under the Rapid Surveys System are intended to complement and not replace the current household survey systems at NCHS, including the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). The Rapid Surveys approach has a greater potential for coverage and nonresponse bias and smaller sample sizes, thus resulting in lower precision (especially for subgroups). The Rapid Surveys System is particularly well suited for time-sensitive data needs, measuring public health attitudes, developmental work to improve concept measurement, and methodological studies.
Rapid Surveys System data are cross-sectional data based on commercial probability-sampled online survey panels that are supplemented, if necessary, with alternative modes to improve representativeness. Data were collected from 7,599 adult participants this cycle using two panels – AmeriSpeak (conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago) and KnowledgePanel (conducted by Ipsos). Estimates shown in this dashboard are based on data collected in Round 1 of Rapid Surveys, occurring during August 2023. All estimates shown meet the NCHS Data Presentation Standards for Proportions.
Access the Round 1 Survey questionnaire [PDF – 37 KB]
NCHS Rapid Surveys Systems. Air Cleaners and Purifiers. National Center for Health Statistics. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/rss/round1/air-purifiers.html.