Data Source Descriptions

The American Community Survey

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

and 5-year

data sets or using the public use microdata sample (PUMS)

file.

The American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation

is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the public about the adverse health effects of smoking and secondhand smoke exposure, as well as the benefits of smoke-free 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.

The 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 state, territory and federal agencies, 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 from the National Center for Health Statistics on births and deaths, as well as other topics. Data are obtained from the Multiple Cause of Death

, Natality

and Single-Race Population Estimates

files.

The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES)

is a nonprofit environmental policy think tank that produces data and reports on climate basics, solutions and policies. Data are obtained from the C2ES website.

The Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool

, developed by the White House’s Council on Environmental Quality, uses data from multiple high-quality sources to identify disadvantaged communities in categories of burdens that include: climate change, energy, health, housing, legacy pollution, transportation, water and wastewater, as well as workforce development. With regard to climate change, the tool helps federal agencies identify where to invest in climate and clean energy (e.g., the Justice40 initiative

). Data on climate change and transportation indicators are available from the Downloads

webpage.

Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS)

data are produced by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 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.

The Current Population Survey

is an ongoing statistical survey sponsored jointly by the U.S. Census Bureau and the 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. Volunteerism data are obtained from the Volunteering and Civic Life Supplement

and are released biennially in odd years.

The Fatality Analysis Reporting System

uses state data collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to produce a census of public motorway accidents resulting in fatalities within 30 days of a crash. Data are obtained from the Fatality and Injury Reporting System Tool (FIRST)

.

The 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. Federal public health grant data are obtained from the Data Downloads

webpage.

The Household Food Security in the United States

report series is published annually by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service. The report provides national statistics on food security, household food spending and the use of federal food and nutrition assistance by food-insecure households, using data from the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey Food Security Supplements.

The Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities (IIF)

program provides annual information on workplace injuries, illnesses and fatal injuries from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries

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

. Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses

data are accessed via the CDC National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network Data Explorer Tool

.

The 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, hospitalizations for 60 chronic conditions, emergency department use, readmissions rates, mortality, preventable hospitalizations and preventive services. Data are obtained from the MMD by Population

website.

The National Center for Education Statistics

is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related from the U.S. Department of Education. Data products include the Nation’s Report Card

(data obtained from the NAEP Report Card: Reading

) and the Common Core of Data

.

The 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, tuberculosis and social determinants of health. Data are obtained from the NCHHSTP AtlasPlus interactive website.

The National Immunization Surveys

are ongoing phone surveys conducted by the CDC that collect information on flu vaccinations among children ages 6 months to 17 years, and other vaccination coverage among children 19-35 months old and teens ages 13-17. Data are obtained from the 

VaxView

website.

The National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES)

is a registry developed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to improve the efficiency of electronic health information transmission. NPPES assigns a unique National Provider Identifier (NPI)

number to covered health care providers and health plans to conduct all administrative and financial transactions under HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Data are accessed via the NPI files

website.

The National Survey of Children’s Health

collects annual data on children’s health and access to health care based on responses from a parent or guardian who knows about the child’s health and health care needs. Data for this report are obtained from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau

, which funds and directs the survey. Survey data are also published annually on the U.S. Census Bureau’s website

.

The Survey of Non-Medical Use of Prescription Drugs (NMURx) 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. 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.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration

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

, which tracks state energy consumption, prices and expenditures.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

performs various federal research, monitoring, standard-setting and enforcement activities to ensure environmental protection. 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 from the Enforcement and Compliance History Online

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

The CDC’s Division of Oral Health monitors community water systems receiving optimally fluoridated drinking water via the Water Fluoridation Reporting System

. National- and state-level data are obtained from the Fluoridation Statistics

website.