Data Source Descriptions

American Community Survey

is an ongoing statistical survey coordinated by the U.S. Census Bureau that provides detailed information on U.S. population demographics. The data are derived from the U.S. Census Bureau directly or via the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (HUD-CHAS)

website.

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 files are accessed via the BRFSS

website.

Bureau of Labor Statistics

is a statistical agency that collects, analyzes and publishes data on the U.S. economy to support local and national decision making. Data from the annual Employment and Wages from Occupational Employment Statistics survey were obtained from the Occupational Employment Statistics Query System

.

CDC WONDER

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

, Linked Birth/Infant Death

and Natality

files.

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 the C2ES State Electricity Portfolio Standards

.

Child Care Aware of America

is a non-profit organization that focuses on child care availability, quality and accessibility. Data on the cost of child care across states are published in their annual The U.S. and the High Price of Child Care

report.

Children’s Bureau

is a federal office dedicated to improving the health and well-being of children and families. Data are obtained from two of the reports they produce: Child Maltreatment

and Child Welfare Outcomes

.

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 their Voting and Registration Supplement

. Data are available every two years following national elections.

Guttmacher Institute

is a research and policy non-profit organization committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights in the U.S. and around the world. Data were obtained from the Publicly Supported Family Planning Services in the United States: Likely Need, Availability and Impact, 2016

report.

March of Dimes

is a long-standing non-profit advocacy organization for mother and infant health. Their Perinatal Data Center provides access to maternal and infant health data for the U.S. via the Peristats

website. Data for this report were obtained via a special request to the March of Dimes Perinatal Data Center.

Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC)

is a CDC-administered biennial survey of breastfeeding support and maternity care in U.S. hospitals. Data are obtained from the mPINC State Reports

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 as well as social determinants of health. Data are obtained via the NCHHSTP AtlasPlus

interactive website.

National Immunization Surveys

are a set of ongoing phone surveys conducted by the CDC that collect information about vaccination coverage among children 19-35 months and teens 13-17 years, and flu vaccinations for children 6 months-17 years. 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, NPI

, 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 for this report are obtained via the Maternal and Child Health Bureau

.

National Survey on Drug Use and Health

measures the use of illegal drugs, prescription drugs, alcohol, tobacco, mental disorders, treatment as well as co-occurring substance use and mental disorders at national, state and sub-state levels. The survey is sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Data are obtained via the State Estimates of Mental Health and Substance Use

and the 2-Year Restricted-Use Data Analysis System

.

Pregnancy Risk Assessment and Monitoring System

, sponsored by the CDC in collaboration with states, collects state-specific population-based data on maternal attitudes and experiences before, during and shortly after pregnancy. Data are obtained via a request

to the CDC.

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 (USDA)

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. USDA also provides data on its Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) including participation, eligibility and coverage. Data are accessed via the WIC Eligibility and Coverage Rates

website.

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

). The agency also funds the National Center for Homeless Education. Student homelessness data are obtained via its Data and Statistics

website.

U.S. Energy Information Administration

provides information on energy markets, production and more. Data are obtained via their State Energy Data System

, which tracks state energy consumption, prices and expenditures.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

performs various 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 is 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 a special request to the agency.

Water Fluoridation Reporting System

of the CDC’s Division of Oral Health monitors community water systems receiving optimally fluoridated drinking water. The division provides national- and state-level water fluoridation statistics available from the Fluoridation Statistics

website.

Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS)

surveys 9th-12th grade students every two years for health-related behaviors that contribute to the leading causes of death and disability in the U.S. Data are accessed via the CDC’s YRBSS Youth Online

tool.