NHANES (1999-2004) Linked Mortality Files

 

Description of the NHANES Linked Mortality Files

NCHS has conducted a mortality linkage of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to death certificate data found in the National Death Index (NDI). The NHANES Linked Mortality Files include the continuous NHANES years (1999-2004) and provide mortality follow-up data from the date of survey participation through December 31, 2006. Mortality ascertainment is based upon the results from a probabilistic match between NHANES and NDI death certificate records. Linkage of the NHANES survey participants with the NDI provides the opportunity to conduct a vast array of outcome studies designed to investigate the association of a wide variety of health factors with mortality.

There are two versions of the NHANES Linked Mortality Files: public-use files that include a limited set of mortality variables for adult NHANES participants and restricted-use files that includes more detailed mortality information and mortality follow-up for children.

 

Data Files

• Public-use data (Mortality data through 2006)
• Restricted-use Data (Mortality data through 2006)

 

Methods

• NDI Record Matching Process for NCHS surveys [PDF - 49 KB]
• Calibration Study [PDF – 26KB]
• Mortality Linkage Eligibility [PDF - 24 KB]
• Mortality Linkage Methodology [PDF - 190 KB]

 

Analytic Support

• Analytic Guidelines [PDF - 74 KB]
• Important information regarding mortality follow-up for NHANES survey participants under age 18 [PDF - 69 KB]
• Comparability of Public-use and Restricted-use Data Files [PDF - 79 KB]
• NHANES Linked Mortality Files Citation List [PDF - 30 KB]

 

Contacts

Data Linkage Team
Office of Analysis and Epidemiology
National Center for Health Statistics
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
3311 Toledo Road, Room 6435
Hyattsville, MD 20782
E-mail: datalinkage@cdc.gov