As of January 2024, this is the most recent NHANES dataset whose data collection was not affected by COVID-19.

Context

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) is a program of studies designed to assess the health and nutritional status of adults and children in the United States. The survey is unique in that it combines interviews and physical examinations. NHANES is a major program of the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). NCHS is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and has the responsibility for producing vital and health statistics for the Nation.

The NHANES program began in the early 1960s and has been conducted as a series of surveys focusing on different population groups or health topics. In 1999, the survey became a continuous program that has a changing focus on a variety of health and nutrition measurements to meet emerging needs. The survey examines a nationally representative sample of about 5,000 persons each year. These persons are located in counties across the country, 15 of which are visited each year.

The NHANES interview includes demographic, socioeconomic, dietary, and health-related questions. The examination component consists of medical, dental, and physiological measurements, as well as laboratory tests administered by highly trained medical personnel.

To date, thousands of research findings have been published using the NHANES data.

Content

The 2017-2018 NHANES datasets include the following components:

1. Demographics dataset:

• A complete variable dictionary can be found here

2. Examinations dataset, which contains factors like:

• Blood pressure

• Body measures

• Muscle strength - grip test

• Oral health - dentition

• Taste & smell

• A complete variable dictionary can be found here

3. Dietary data - total nutrient intake:

• A complete variable dictionary can be found here

4. Laboratory dataset, which includes factors like:

• Albumin & Creatinine - Urine

• Apolipoprotein B

• Blood Lead, Cadmium, Total Mercury, Selenium, and Manganese

• Blood mercury: inorganic, ethyl and methyl

• Cholesterol - HDL

• Cholesterol - LDL & Triglycerides

• Cholesterol - Total

• Complete Blood Count with 5-part Differential - Whole Blood

• Copper, Selenium & Zinc - Serum

• Fasting Questionnaire

• Fluoride - Plasma

• Fluoride - Water

• Glycohemoglobin

• Hepatitis A

• Hepatitis B Surface Antibody

• Hepatitis B: core antibody, surface antigen, and Hepatitis D antibody

• Hepatitis C RNA (HCV-RNA) and Hepatitis C Genotype

• Hepatitis E: IgG & IgM Antibodies

• Herpes Simplex Virus Type-1 & Type-2

• HIV Antibody Test

• Human Papillomavirus (HPV) - Oral Rinse

• Human Papillomavirus (HPV) DNA - Vaginal Swab: Roche Cobas & Roche Linear Array

• Human Papillomavirus (HPV) DNA Results from Penile Swab Samples: Roche Linear Array

• Insulin

• Iodine - Urine

• Perchlorate, Nitrate & Thiocyanate - Urine

• Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (formerly Polyfluoroalkyl Chemicals - PFC)

• Personal Care and Consumer Product Chemicals and Metabolites

• Phthalates and Plasticizers Metabolites - Urine

• Plasma Fasting Glucose

• Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) - Urine

• Standard Biochemistry Profile

• Tissue Transglutaminase Assay (IgA-TTG) & IgA Endomyseal Antibody Assay (IgA EMA)

• Trichomonas - Urine

• Two-hour Oral Glucose Tolerance Test

• Urinary Chlamydia

• Urinary Mercury

• Urinary Speciated Arsenics

• Urinary Total Arsenic

• Urine Flow Rate

• Urine Metals

• Urine Pregnancy Test

• Vitamin B12

• A complete variable dictionary can be found here

5. Questionnaire dataset, which includes items like:

• Acculturation

• Alcohol Use

• Blood Pressure & Cholesterol

• Cardiovascular Health

• Consumer Behavior

• Current Health Status

• Dermatology

• Diabetes

• Diet Behavior & Nutrition

• Disability

• Drug Use

• Early Childhood

• Food Security

• Health Insurance

• Hepatitis

• Hospital Utilization & Access to Care

• Housing Characteristics

• Immunization

• Income

• Medical Conditions

• Mental Health - Depression Screener

• Occupation

• Oral Health

• Osteoporosis

• Pesticide Use

• Physical Activity

• Physical Functioning

• Preventive Aspirin Us...

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) is a population survey implemented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to monitor the health of the United States whose data is publicly available in hundreds of files. This Data Descriptor describes a single unified and universally accessible data file, merging across 255 separate files and stitching data across 4 surveys, encompassing 41,474 individuals and 1,191 variables. The variables consist of phenotype and environmental exposure information on each individual, specifically (1) demographic information, physical exam results (e.g., height, body mass index), laboratory results (e.g., cholesterol, glucose, and environmental exposures), and (4) questionnaire items. Second, the data descriptor describes a dictionary to enable analysts find variables by category and human-readable description. The datasets are available on DataDryad and a hands-on analytics tutorial is available on GitHub. Through a new b...