 | This articlerelies excessively onreferences toprimary sources. Please improve this article by addingsecondary or tertiary sources. Find sources: "National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(May 2011) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
TheNational Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) is asurveyresearch program conducted by theNational Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) to assess thehealth andnutritional status of adults and children in theUnited States, and to track changes over time.[1] The survey combinesinterviews,physical examinations and laboratory tests.[citation needed]
The NHANES interview includesdemographic,socioeconomic,dietary, and health-related questions. The examination component consists of medical,dental, andphysiological measurements, as well as laboratory tests administered by medical personnel.[citation needed]
The National Health Survey Act was passed in 1956. This allowed legislative authorization to provide current statistical data on the amount, distribution, and effects on illness and disability in the United States.[2]
The first three national health examination surveys were conducted in the 1960s:
The first NHANES was conducted in 1971, and in 1999 the surveys became an annual event; the first report on the topic was published in 2001.[3]
NHANES findings are used to determine the prevalence of major diseases andrisk factors for diseases. Information is used to assess nutritional status and its association withhealth promotion anddisease prevention. NHANES findings are also the basis for national standards for such measurements asheight,weight, andblood pressure. NHANES data are used inepidemiological studies andhealth sciences research (includingbiomarkers of aging), which help develop sound publichealth policy, direct and design health programs and services, expand health knowledge, extendhealthspan andlifespan.Follow-up studies using NHANES data were made possible by creating linked mortality files and files based on Medicare and Medicaid data.[4]