The National Survey of Children's Health
The National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) was conducted three times between 2003 and 2012. It provides rich data on multiple, intersecting aspects of children’s lives—including physical and mental health, access to quality health care, and the child’s family, neighborhood, school, and social context. In 2003, 2007, and 2011/12, the NSCH was conducted using telephone methodology, and was led by the National Center for Health Statistics at the Centers for Disease Control under the direction and sponsorship of the federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB).
The survey is currently being conducted again by the Census Bureau in 2016, with initial data expected in 2017. Among other changes, the 2016 National Survey of Children’s Health will integrate two surveys: the NSCH and the National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs (NS-CSHCN). See the MCHB website for more information on the 2016 National Survey of Children's Health administration, methodology, survey content, and data availability.
Fast-track your use of NSCH data:
The Data Resource Center takes the results from the NSCH and makes them easily accessible to parents, researchers, community health providers and anyone interested in maternal and child health. Data on this site are for the nation and each of the 50 states plus the District of Columbia. State and national data can be further refined to assess differences by race/ethnicity, income, type of health insurance, and a variety of other important demographic and health status characteristics. Additional resources on how the survey was conducted can be found on our resources for NSCH data analysis page.
The NSCH at a glance:
| Survey Design and Sponsorship | Maternal and Child Health Bureau at the Health Resources and Services Administration in partnership with National Center for Health Statistics at the Centers for Disease Control, Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative, and a National Technical Expert Panel
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| Data Collection | National Center for Health Statistics at the Centers for Disease Control |
| Geographic areas | Nationwide, all 50 states and the District of Columbia
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| Periodicity | 2003, 2007, 2011/12, yearly as of 2016/17
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| Population sampled | Non-institutionalized children in the US ages 0-17 years
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| Sample size range | Nationally: between 91,000 and 102,000 State: between 1,800-2,200
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| Representative | Weighted to be representative of the US population of non-institutionalized children ages 0-17
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| Topics | Physical and emotional health; factors that may relate to well-being of children, including medical home, family interactions, parental health, school experiences, and safe neighborhoods
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