National health and nutrition examination survey: analytic guidelines, 1999-2010.

TLDR

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) evolved from a 1988–1994 cross‑sectional study to a continuous annual survey beginning in 1999, with analytic guidance issued in 1996 and again in 2002, 2004, and 2006 to help researchers navigate its complex design. This report compiles the first comprehensive set of analytic guidelines for the 1999–2010 NHANES cycles, offering researchers a unified reference for analyzing publicly released data. The guidelines cover key issues such as sample design, demographic variables, cycle merging, and provide detailed instructions on using survey weights, variance estimation, reliability assessment, age adjustment, and population count calculations.

Abstract

Background-Analytic guide lines were first created in 1996 to assist data users in analyzing data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III),conducted from 1988 to 1994 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. NHANES became a continuous annual survey in 1999, with data released to the public in 2-year intervals. In 2002, 2004, and 2006, guidelines were created and posted on the NHANES website to assist analysts in understanding the key issues related to analyzing data from 1999 onward. This report builds on these previous guidelines and provides the first comprehensive summary of analytic guidelines for the 1999-2010 NHANES data. Objectives-This report provides general guidelines for researchers in analyzing 1999-2010 NHANES publicly released data. Information is presented on key issues related to NHANES data, including sample design, demographic variables, and combining survey cycles. Guidance is also provided on data analysis, including the use of appropriate survey weights, calculating variance estimations, determining the reliability of estimates, age adjustment, and computing population counts.