Data and Statistics

Public health surveillance is the ongoing systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of outcome-specific data for use in planning, interpretation, and evaluation of public health practice. Data sets and surveillance systems related to nutrition are provided. A number of the data sources can be used to examine public health issues across time or to compare groups at a specific time point.

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)
CDC, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
The BRFSS uses a population-based telephone survey to assess behavioral risk factors of American adults since 1984. Body Mass Index and Adequacy of fruit and vegetable intake are assessed as behavioral risk factors. The BRFSS provides national and selected state data.

Fruit and Vegetable Consumption
Data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) showing average daily frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption among adults in the US. Survey responses can be compared by state, year, and demographic group. Adolescent fruit and vegetable consumption data is available from the Dietary Behaviors Comprehensive Results of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS).

Healthy People 2010 Data
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Healthy People 2010 is the prevention agenda for the nation. From this link, the database can be searched for a specific objective of a particular focus area (e.g. Nutrition and Overweight). Data can be searched for specific states and across years.

Nutrition Monitoring in the United States: The Directory of Federal and State Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research Activities
CDC, National Center for Health Statistics
Nutritional monitoring of individuals in the US occurs via multiple research channels at the federal and state levels. A directory of these research activities is available.

PedNSS: Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System
CDC, Nutrition and Physical Activity
The Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System (PedNSS) is a program-based public health surveillance system that describes the nutritional status of low-income U.S. children who attend federally-funded maternal and child health and nutrition programs. PedNSS provides data on the prevalence and trends of nutrition-related indicators.

PNSS: Pregnancy Nutrition Surveillance System
CDC, Nutrition and Physical Activity
The Pregnancy Nutrition Surveillance System (PNSS) is a program-based public health surveillance system that monitors risk factors associated with infant mortality and poor birth outcomes among low-income pregnant women who participate in federally funded public health programs.

US Obesity Trends
CDC, Nutrition and Physical Activity
This site provides a PowerPoint slide presentation that documents the changing prevalence in obesity among adults in the United States from 1985 to 2006. The prevalence data were collected through CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).

Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System
CDC, Adolescent and School Health
YRBSS monitors priority health risk behaviors that contribute markedly to the leading causes of health, disability, and social problems among youth and adults in the United States. Questions related to eating patterns such as fruit and vegetable intake are included. The YRBSS includes national, state, and local school-based surveys of representative samples of 9th through 12th grade students

Related Surveillance Systems

DHHS-USDA Dietary Survey Integration — What We Eat in America

Note: In 2002, two nationwide dietary intake surveys — the Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals (CSFII) conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services were integrated.

The new integrated survey is called What We Eat in America and is collected as part of NHANES.

• National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)
  CDC, National Center for Health Statistics
  This link provides data sets for current and past NHANES and National Health Examination Surveys (NHES) conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
• Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals (CSFII) 1994–1996, 1998
  Department of Agriculture (USDA)
  This link provides data sets and related information for the 1994–1996, 1998 CSFII surveys.

Healthy Eating Index
Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Healthy Eating Index (HEI) is a summary measure of overall diet quality. The type and quantity of foods people eat and the degree to which diets comply with specific recommendations in the Dietary Guidelines and the Food Guide Pyramid is analyzed. Data sets and reports using the HEI to compare reported intakes in the 1999-2000 NHANES and 1994-1996 CSFII are available.

---