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UCSF INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH & AGING   ◊   UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO

Databases -
Solomon F. Davis Resource Center

This page contains links to statistical and informational databases, which cover a wide variety of topics in health and aging. You can scroll down to review each link or simply choose one of the main categories from the menu below.

This page contains links to statistical and informational databases, which cover a  wide variety of topics in health and aging.  You can scroll down to review each link or simply choose one of the main categories from the following menu. 

NATL. CTR. FOR HEALTH STATISTICS - PUBLICATIONS
U.S. HEALTH STATISTICS FROM OTHER SOURCES
INTERNATIONAL HEALTH STATISTICS
OTHER STATISTICS SITES (VASF LIBRARY)
STATE WEB SITES ON HEALTH & AGING
CENTERS ON AGING RESEARCH
SOCIETIES & ASSOCIATIONS
FUNDING AGENCIES 

Statistics from the U.S. National Center
for Health Statistics (NCHS)

The U.S. National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) is the Federal Government's principal vital and health statistics agency. NCHS data systems include data on vital events as well as information on health status, lifestyle and exposure to unhealthy influences, the onset and diagnosis of illness and disability, and the use of health care.

Many files from NCHS are ".PDF" files and will require Adobe/Acrobat Reader software to be viewed.

NCHS publications include:

• Monthly Vital Statistics Reports (MVSR)
  Provides data on births, deaths, marriages and divorces. It also has some special topic analyses published irregularly.
• Vital and Health Statistics
  The primary source of most health statistics in the United States. It includes surveys such as the National Health Interview Survey and the National Ambulatory Care Survey.
• Advance Data From Vital and Health Statistics
• NCHS Mortality page
• NCHS Ambulatory Health Care page

• Health United States
  An annual report summarizing the health status of the nation, health care resources use, and vital statistics.

• Healthy People 2000
  An annual report tracking the progress of the Healthy People 2000 objectives.

• Life Tables
  Annual report of life expectancy by age in the United States.
  (Reports for each state are published once every 10 years.)

• Unpublished Statistical Tables

• Fact Sheets / News Releases
  These contain factual information and some statistics.

• Other Reports
  Includes one-time analysis of special topics, conference proceedings and
  guidance for obtaining birth/death certificates. 

U.S. Health Statistics from Other Sources

• U.S. Agency for Health Research and Quality (AHRQ)
  Data & Surveys; This site provides information about health care costs, utilizations and expenditures.
  • Research Findings
  • Quality Assessment
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
  Data on occupational injuries and illnesses, and health expenditures by employees and employers.
• U.S. Census Bureau
  The Census collects and disseminates social, demographic, and economic information. This site has an alphabetic list of reports and publications, and may be searched by keywords. Current Population Surveys update population data between decennial censuses. Health Insurance coverage is the topic of one series of census reports.
  • Census Current Population Survey (CPS) is a monthly survey of about 50,000 households conducted by the Bureau of the Census for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The survey has been conducted for more than 50 years. The CPS is the primary source of information on the labor force characteristics of the U.S. population.
  • Census Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP)
    Amount of income, labor force information, program participation and eligibility data, and general demographic characteristics.
  • Census Health Insurance Data
  • Census American Housing Survey (AHS)
    Collects data on the nation's housing, including apartments, single-family homes, mobile homes, vacant housing units, household characteristics, income, housing and neighborhood quality, housing costs, equipment and fuels, size of housing unit, and recent movers.
  • Census County and City Data Book
    Online version of a standard reference tool.
  • Census Statistical Abstract of the United States
• U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  CDC provides a system of health surveillance to monitor and prevent outbreak of diseases.
  • CDC Scientific Data and Surveillance
  • CDC Wonder CDC Wonder searches the CDC databases.
    Searches are free, but login is required (an anonymous login is provided for infrequent searchers).
  • CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
    (There is a searchable index of MMWR back issues from 1993 to the present.)
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
  EPA Envirofacts Warehouse, a wide range of environmental databases.
• U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO)
  The General Accounting Office is the investigative arm of Congress. GAO examines the use of public funds, evaluates federal programs and activities, and provides analyses, options, recommendations, and other assistance to help the Congress make effective oversight, policy, and funding decisions. Search for any GAO report since 1975.
• U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
  The Department of Health and Human Services is the United States Government's principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves.
  • US DHHS Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
    Statistics on Medicare, Medicaid and related topics.
  • US DHHS Administration on Aging (AoA)
    AoA supports a nationwide aging network, providing services to the elderly, especially to enable them to remain independent. Also see AoA statistical information on older people
  • US DHHS Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
    • http://ncadi.samhsa.gov/ - SAMHSA's National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information
• Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (NCI-SEER)
  National Cancer Institute Cancer Statistics Review, the annual update of cancer statistics from NCI-SEER. It contains cancer incidence rates, mortality rates, and patient survival rates.
• U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA)
  • Office of Policy site contains information on policy development, policy analysis and research, evaluation, and statistics.
  • SSA Publications  

International Health Statistics

Australian Bureau of Statistics provides summary statistical information about the nation. Select the link on "health" and pick the subject topic of interest, such as causes of death and health expenditures.

Canadian Health Statistics from Statistics Canada, this site provides links to a full range of health statistics.

Country Studies - From the Library of Congress, this resource provides profiles of about 60 nations, including many developing nations. Browse or use a search engine to find data. Information given in narrative form.

Demographic and Health Surveys - from the United States Agency for International Development and Macro International, this site provides demographic and health information about Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Click on the appropriate part of the image map near the top of the page to get Fact Sheets, Press Releases and newsletter articles (News), and more.

European Nations Statistical Agencies
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe - Statistical Division; site provides links to statistical agencies in Europe, many of which provide health data. This site also provides a link to Trends in Europe and North America, which includes population, life expectancy, and infant mortality information.

U.S. Census International Programs Center (IPC)
Part of the Population Division of the U.S. Census Bureau, conducts demographic and socioeconomic studies and strengthens statistical development around the world through technical assistance, training, and software products.

Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO)
Country Profiles provide health statistics and other information about the nations of the Western Hemisphere.

United Kingdom Office of National Statistics
Site provides concise figures on a variety of topics including on health, population, and vital health.

World Health Organization Statistical Information System (WHOSIS)
Health and health-related statistical information from the WHO Global Programme on Evidence for Health Policy.
This site provides direct or indirect access to various statistical databases compiled by WHO, the World Health Organization, including its "Health-or-All Global Indicators" and "European Health-for-All."

World Resources Institute (WRI)
World Resources 2001-2001, a definitive guide to the global environment. The millennial edition presents a comprehensive assessment of five of the world's major ecosystems. 

Other Statistics Sites
(Selected from VASF Med Library)

FedStats - Gateway to Statistics from over 100 U.S. federal agencies.

Guide to Locating Health Statistics - from the Falk Library at the University of Pittsburgh.

Health Services/Technology Assessment Text (HSTAT)
from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), U.S. National Library of Medicine

HyperStat - David Lane's introductory-level course and links to other online statistics sources.

Statistics on the Web - compiled by Clay Helberg

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

Statistical Resources on the Web: Health
University of Michigan Documents Center
Areas covered include disease, healthcare, hospitals, nutrition, substance abuse, and vital statistics.

Social Statistics Briefing Room
U.S. White House. This site provides crime statistics, demographic statistics, education statistics, and health statistics. 

State of California Web Sites on Health and Aging

• California Department of Health Services (CDHS) -
  CDHS is now re-organized into:
• California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS)
  • DHCS Data and Statistics
• California Department of Public Health Services (CDPH)
  • CDPH Statistics
  • Office of Health Information and Research (OHIR, Ca. Dept. of Public Health)
    Vital and other health statistics for California.
• California Department of Aging 
• California Department of Mental Health

Centers on Aging Research

Duke University Center for the Study of Aging & Human Development

Huffington Center on Aging

University of California, Berkeley Center on Aging

Wayne State University, Michigan, Institute of Gerontology 

Societies and Associations on Aging

Alzheimer's Association

American Public Health Association (APHA)

Gerontological Society of America

National Academy on an Aging Society 

Funding Agencies - IHA Research

U.S. Federal Agencies

• Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS)
• DHHS Administration on Aging (AoA)
• DHHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
• Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ)
• Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)
• National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Private Foundations

• California Endowment
• California Wellness Foundation
• Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
• Pew Charitable Trusts
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

UCSF INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH & AGING  ◊  SCHOOL OF NURSING  ◊  University of California, San Francisco
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Last revised:  July, 2007; Apr. 2008
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