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 the public use microdata sample (PUMS

) file. 

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 the use of preventive services. Data are accessed via the BRFSS

website. 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics

’ Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS)

program produces monthly and annual employment, unemployment and labor force data by place of residence. Data are obtained from the LAUS Expanded State Employment Status Demographic Dataset

.

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 National Center for Health Statistics. Data are obtained from the Linked Birth/Infant Death

, 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

. 

Child Care Aware of America

is a nonprofit 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.

The Children’s Bureau

is a federal office of the Administration for Children and Families dedicated to improving the health and well-being of children and families. Data are obtained from their annual Child Maltreatment

and Child Welfare Outcomes

reports. 

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 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.

Federally Available Data (FAD)

on measures of maternal and child health national outcomes and performance are collected and distributed by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau

. Data are from various sources, including the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project and the National Vital Statistics System. All FAD data can be downloaded from the FAD Resource Document

. 

March of Dimes

is a long-standing nonprofit advocacy organization for maternal and infant health. Their Perinatal Data Center

provides access to maternal and infant health data for the U.S. 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.

The National Center for Education Statistics

is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data 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 agency also funds the National Center for Homeless Education

. Student homelessness data are obtained from their Data and Statistics

website.

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. 

National Immunization Surveys

are a set of ongoing phone surveys conducted by the CDC that collect information on flu vaccinations for children ages 6 months to 17 years and other vaccination coverage among children 19-35 months old and teens ages 13-17. Breastfeeding information is also collected from households with children ages 19-35 months. Data are obtained from the VaxView

and the Breastfeeding Rates

websites.

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

is an annual survey 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. The survey data are also published annually on the U.S. Census Bureau’s website

.

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health

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

and the 2-Year Restricted-Use Data Analysis System

.

The Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS)

, sponsored by the CDC in collaboration with state agencies, collects state-specific population-based data on maternal attitudes and experiences before, during and shortly after pregnancy. Data are obtained via the PRAMS Automated Research File Data Portal

or directly from states. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s)

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

report. This report provides national statistics on food security, household food spending and 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) via annual reports on national- and state-level estimates of WIC eligibility and program reach.

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.

The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS)

surveys students in grades nine through 12 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.