Data Source Descriptions

American Community Survey

is an ongoing statistical survey coordinated by the U.S. Census Bureau providing detailed information on U.S. population demographics. Data are derived from the U.S. Census Bureau directly via their 1-year

and 5-year

datasets.

American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation

is a nonprofit organization creating programs to educate the public about the adverse health effects of smoking and secondhand smoke exposure as well as the benefits of smokefree environments. The foundation produces lists and maps covering laws regarding clean air, e-cigarettes, marijuana and tobacco sales in pharmacies. Data are accessed via the Lists & Maps

webpage.

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)

is the nation's largest phone-based population survey. The survey, coordinated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in collaboration with states and territories with many federal agency sponsors, provides information about health-related risk behaviors, chronic health conditions and use of preventive services. Data are accessed via the BRFSS

website.

CDC WONDER

is a query system for analyzing public-use data for U.S. births and deaths, among other topics. Data are produced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics and obtained from the Multiple Cause of Death

, Natality

and Single-Race Population Estimates

files.

Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries

data are collected annually for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

’ Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities

program. Data are obtained from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries

website and combined with employment data from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis

.

Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES)

is a non-profit environmental policy think tank that produces data and reports on climate basics, solutions and policies. Data are obtained from C2ES State Electricity Portfolio Standards

.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

is the nation’s leading public health agency. CDC funding data are obtained from the Grant Funding Profiles

webpage. The National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System, Vital Statistics Rapid Release Program

provides provisional mortality and natality estimates in for more timely analysis of death and birth data than the final annual data.

Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS)

is produced by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Policy Development and Research, which manages specific housing data from the American Community Survey. These data demonstrate the extent of housing problems and needs, particularly for low-income households. Data are accessed via the Consolidated Planning/CHAS Data

website.

Current Population Survey

is an ongoing statistical survey, sponsored jointly by the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, that collects information monthly about employment, earnings and education in the nation. Voting data are obtained from the survey’s Voting and Registration Supplement

. Data are available every two years following national elections. Volunteerism data are obtained via the Volunteering and Civic Life Supplement

and are released biennially in odd years.

Health Resources and Services Administration

is an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that supports health infrastructure and provides health care to individuals in need with a particular focus on those in geographically isolated regions or with economic or medical vulnerabilities. Data are obtained from the Data Downloads

webpage.

Mapping Medicare Disparities (MMD) Tool

is a comprehensive source of information from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Office of Minority Health, offering data on eliminating health disparities and improving the health of minority populations. This tool features health outcome measures for disease prevalence, costs, hospitalization for 60 chronic conditions, emergency department use, readmissions rates, mortality, preventable hospitalizations and preventive services. Data are obtained via the MMD by Population

website.

National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP) Atlas

allows users to create customized tables, maps and charts using more than 15 years of surveillance data on HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis. Data are obtained via the NCHHSTP AtlasPlus

interactive website.

National Immunization Surveys

are ongoing phone surveys conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that collect information about vaccination coverage among children ages 19-35 months and teens ages 13-17 years. Childhood immunization data are presented by birth year (birth cohort) rather than survey year. Data are obtained from the VaxView

websites.

National Plan and Provider Enumeration System

is a registry developed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to improve the efficiency of electronic health information transmission. The system uses a unique identification number, National Provider Identifier

, for covered health care providers and health plans to conduct all administrative and financial transactions under HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

National Survey of Children’s Health

is an annual survey on children’s health and access to health care, funded and directed by the Health Resources & Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau. The respondent is a parent or guardian who knows about the child’s health and health care needs. Data are obtained via a request to the Maternal and Child Health Bureau

. Datasets are also available for download from the U.S. Census Bureau’s website

.

State Energy Data System (SEDS)

of the U.S. Energy Information Administration

provides facts on energy markets, production and more. Data are obtained via the Administration’s SEDS

website, which tracks state energy consumption, prices and expenditures.

Survey of Non-Medical Use of Prescription Drugs Program

is a data source from the Researched Abuse, Diversion and Addiction-Related Surveillance (RADARSⓇ) System that collects product- and geographically-specific data on abuse, misuse and diversion of prescription drugs. The RADARS System is part of Denver Health and Hospital Authority’s Rocky Mountain Poison & Drug Safety (RMPDS). Data are obtained via a direct request to the organization.

Trust for America’s Health

is a public health policy, research and advocacy organization. State public health funding data are obtained via a direct request to the organization.

Uniform Crime Reporting Program

, managed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, generates nationwide crime statistics based on voluntary reports from all levels of law enforcement agencies. The program’s annual Crime in the U.S.

report includes the number and rate of violent and property crime offenses in the nation and by state.

U.S. Department of Agriculture’s

Economic Research Service analyzes data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey Food Security Supplements to create the Household Food Security in the United States

report. This report provides national statistics on food security, household food spending and the use of federal food and nutrition assistance by food-insecure households.

U.S. Department of Education

produces many data products through the National Center for Education Statistics, which is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education in the nation. Data products include the Common Core of Data

(data obtained via the data tables) and the National Assessment of Educational Progress (data obtained via the Report Card: Reading

).

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

performs federal research, monitoring, standard-setting and enforcement activities to ensure environmental protection. Data from this agency include the Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators model, which uses the Toxic Release Inventory to quantify toxic release as it relates to population health (data obtained via the EasyRSEI Dashboard

). National Safe Drinking Water Act data are reported by states and compiled from the Safe Drinking Water Information System database for public water systems (data obtained via the Enforcement and Compliance History Online

website). State-level air pollution data are obtained via special request to the agency.

Water Fluoridation Reporting System

of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Oral Health monitors community water systems with optimally fluoridated drinking water. The division provides national- and state-level water fluoridation statistics available from the Fluoridation Statistics

website.