Past surveys and data collections

Background

Since its founding, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) has conducted many health surveys and data collections. Some have continued for decades, others have been conducted only a few times or even once.

NCHS may discontinue a survey for one or more reasons. These reasons can include changes in data needs, data sources, collection methods, healthcare services, available resources, and more.

This page provides more information about some of the surveys and data collections that NCHS has stopped. More information about historical NCHS surveys and data collections can be found in Summary of Discontinued Surveys and Data Collection Systems.

Population surveys

Longitudinal Study of Aging (1984–1990)

The Longitudinal Study of Aging measured changes over time in health, ability to do daily activities (functioning), living arrangements, and health services use of people ages 70 and older.

Data source and methods

Personal interviews of men and women 55 years of age and older

Examples of data collected

• Health status
• Functioning status
• Living arrangements
• Health services use

National Health Interview Survey on Disability (1994–1995)

The National Health Interview Survey on Disability collected data to increase understanding of disability by producing statistics about selected health conditions and the effects of disabilities.

Data source and methods

Personal interviews

Examples of data collected

• Physical, cognitive, and developmental disabilities
• Daily activities and limits on carrying out these activities
• Mental health
• Services and benefits used
• Early child development and special health needs of children
• Education
• Perceived disability

NHANES National Youth Fitness Survey (2012)

The NHANES National Youth Fitness Survey evaluated the health and fitness of children in the United States ages 3–15.

Data source and methods

Personal interviews and fitness tests of children and teens 3–15 years old

Examples of data collected

• Height, weight, and other measures of growth and development
• Abdominal and core muscle strength
• Upper and lower body muscle strength
• Grip strength
• Coordination and balance
• Eating habits
• Smoking, alcohol, and drug use

Healthcare provider surveys

National Hospital Discharge Survey (1965–2010)

The annual National Hospital Discharge Survey provided information about inpatients discharged from short-stay hospitals in the United States.

Data source and methods

Inpatient records and electronic data files from sources that included state data systems, hospitals, and hospital associations

Examples of data collected

• Inpatient characteristics, like age, sex, race, ethinciity, marital status, and expected source of payment
• Admission and discharge dates (to calculate length of stay)
• Discharge status

National Nursing Home Survey (1973–74, 1977, 1985, 1995, 1997, 1999, and 2004)

The National Nursing Home Survey collected data from U.S. nursing homes about their services, staff, and residents.

Data source and methods

Personal interviews with facility administrators and designated staff, and information provided by staff from administrative records

Examples of data collected

• Number of staff and residents
• Size and ownership
• Services provided and specialty programs offered
• Medicare and Medicaid certification
• Patient health status and medications
• Charges and expected source of payments

National Home and Hospice Care Survey (1992–1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, and 2007)

The National Home and Hospice Care Survey collected information about home health and hospice agencies, and their staff, services, and patients.

Data source and methods

In-person interviews with agency directors and their designated staff

Examples of data collected

• Agency data, like services provided, referral sources, specialty programs, and staffing characteristics
• Information about home health patients and hospice discharge data
  • Age, sex, race, ethnicity
  • Services received and medications taken
  • Length of time since admission
  • Diagnoses
  • Advance directives

National Survey of Ambulatory Surgery (1994–1996; 2006)

The National Survey of Ambulatory Surgery studied ambulatory surgical care in hospital-based and freestanding ambulatory surgery centers.

Data source and methods

Medical records from ambulatory surgery center facilities

Examples of data collected

• Patient characteristics
• Payment source
• Information on anesthesia given
• Diagnoses
• Surgical and non-surgical procedures

National Survey of Residential Care Facilities (2010)

The National Survey of Residential Care Facilities was the first NCHS survey of residential care providers.

Data source and methods

In-person interviews with residential care administrators, caregivers, and staff, who also provided information about a small number of residents

Examples of data collected

• Facility characteristics, like size, ownership, staffing, and services provided
• Resident characteristics, like age, sex, race, and marital status
• Resident health, ability to perform daily activities (functional status), and involvement in activities
• Services used by residents
• Charges

Vital statistics surveys

National Maternal and Infant Health Survey (1988; 1991)

The National Maternal and Infant Health Survey collected data related to poor pregnancy outcomes, including low birthweight, stillbirth, infant illness, and infant death.

Data source and methods

State vital records offices for data about births, deaths, and fetal deaths, and programs linking birth and infant death data

Examples of data collected

• Characteristics of mothers, like age, sex, race, ethnicity, and social and economic characteristics
• Prenatal care
• Pregnancy history
• Work background
• Health status of mother and infant
• Types and sources of medical care

National Mortality Follow-back Survey (1993)

The Mortality Followback Survey Program supplemented death certificate records with information from the next of kin or another person familiar with the life history of the person who died (the decedent).

Data source and methods

Death certificates from state vital records offices, interviews, and administrative records from the group of decedents include in the survey

Examples of data collected

• Social and economic information about decedents
• Relationships between causes of death and risk factors, which are conditions, behaviors, and experiences that could contribute to injury, illness, and death
• Disability
• Access to and use of healthcare facilities in the last year of life
• Reliability of certain information reported on the death certificate

Telephone surveys

State and Local Area Integrated Telephone Survey (program active: 1997–2014)

NCHS developed the State and Local Area Integrated Telephone Survey (SLAITS) as a data collection method to supplement national surveys and vital statistics. SLAITS provided in-depth state and local area data. NCHS conducted different surveys about different topics over the life of the SLAITS program.

Data source and methods

Landline and cell phone interviews

Examples of surveys using the SLAITS program

• National Survey of Children's Health
• National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs
• National Asthma Survey
• National Survey of Adoptive Parents
• Survey of Adult Transition and Health
• Influenza Vaccination Module for Children
• National Survey of the Diagnosis and Treatment of ADHD and Tourette Syndrome