Health Statistics

Producers of health statistics may be grouped into three broad categories; government agencies, professional/nonprofit associations, and research institutes.

 1. Government Agencies

These groups collect analyze and distribute vital statistics as well as data on the morbidity and mortality from notifiable or reportable diseases. Under legal mandate, the states collect the data from municipalities or counties and forward it to the National Center for Health Statistics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The NCHS and CDC then forward the data to the National Institutes and other DHHS agencies to support their programs.

 

• National Center for Health Statistics. Start with FASTATS A to Z to access more specific data.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One frequently used resource is the MMWR (Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Report). For other data sets and reports, start with CDC WONDER.

• National Institutes of Health: Institutes, Centers and Offices.  The first page is set up as a search interface although finding statistics this way can be a challenge.  Consider clicking on the “Institutes at NIH” tab and then selecting the most appropriate agency.  On the institute or center page, statistics may be a separate tab or within the sections for health professionals or education.

• Agency for Health Care Policy and Research. The Healthcare Cost & Utilization Project (HCUP) provides consolidated data for selected states, including New Jersey, from the largest collection of hospital care data in the U.S.

• New Jersey Center for Health Statistics. This site includes summary data for the state and county as well as the past six years of New Jersey Health Statistics (1993-2004).  NJSHAD (State Health Assessment Data) (1990-2009) offers information about health indicators, and customized tables and graphs through a query system. 

o   Municipality-level data is offered for births (1997-2005) and deaths (1999-2003) including cause. Any further municipal level data is available only by phone request to the appropriate state office.  The Center also makes available a request form for health data.

• Two other offices in the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services' Epidemiology Division, Cancer Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases, include health statistics on their Web pages.
  
  AIDS statistics to the county level are available in the Division of AIDS Prevention and Control semi-annual newsletter.  The most recent issue is dates June 30, 2011.

2. Professional/Nonprofit Associations

Look for links to statistics, scientific sources, or information for researchers or information for health professionals.

Professional

 

• American Medical Association

•  American Nurses Association

• American Public Health Association

 Disease related

 

• American Cancer Society

• American Diabetes Association

• American Heart Association

• American Lung Association

3. Research Institutes and Foundations

Some foundations collect statistics or conduct their own analyses to support their mission. Other institutes investigate public policy issues or conduct research under contract and then distribute the results. If your area of interest coincides with the work of the foundation or institute, you may find relevant data. Try a site search on your subject.

• Annie E. Casey Foundation (for data related to disadvantaged children)

•  Rand Institute

• Research Triangle Institute

• Urban Institute