NHIS Linked Mortality Files
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Description of the NHIS Linked Mortality Files
NCHS has updated the mortality linkage of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) years 1986-2004 to death certificate data found in the National Death Index (NDI). The updated NHIS Linked Mortality Files provide mortality follow-up data from the date of NHIS interview through December 31, 2006. Mortality ascertainment is based primarily upon the results from a probabilistic match between NHIS and NDI death certificate records. Linkage of the NHIS survey participants with the NDI provides the opportunity to conduct studies designed to investigate the association of a variety of health factors with mortality, using the richness of the NHIS questionnaires. NCHS recommends that researchers use these new linked mortality files as they supersede all prior data releases of the NHIS Linked Mortality Files.
There are two versions of the NHIS Linked Mortality Files: public-use files that include a limited set of mortality variables for adult NHIS participants and restricted-use files that includes more detailed mortality information and mortality follow-up for children. Each NHIS survey year (1986-2004) is available on a separate date file.
Data Files
- Public-use Data (Updated linkage – mortality data through 2006)
- Restricted-use Data (Updated linkage – mortality data through 2006)
Methods
- NDI Record Matching Process for NCHS surveys [PDF - 43 KB]
- Calibration Study [PDF – 26KB]
- Mortality Linkage Eligibility [PDF - 60 KB]
- Mortality Linkage Methodology [PDF - 369 KB]
Analytic Support
- Analytic Guidelines [PDF - 113 KB] (Updated February 12, 2010)
- Important information regarding mortality follow-up for NHIS survey participants 17 years and younger [PDF - 66 KB]
- Comparability of Public-use and Restricted-use Data Files [PDF - 167 KB]
- Comparability of Cause of Death Between ICD-9 and ICD-10: Preliminary Estimates [PDF - 338 KB]
- Mortality Experience of the 1986–2000 National Health Interview Survey Linked Mortality Files Participants [PDF - 1 MB]
- NHIS Linked Mortality Files Citation List [PDF - 29 KB]
- Archived Documents
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
Contact Us:
- National Center for Health Statistics
3311 Toledo Rd
Hyattsville, MD 20782 - 1 (800) 232-4636
- cdcinfo@cdc.gov