Extracted Data From: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

At a glance
- NHANES is the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
- NHANES is a national survey that measures the health and nutrition of adults and children in the United States.
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The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) collects data about the health of adults and children in the United States. We also collect data about what participants eat, drink, and take as supplements to determine how many nutrients are in their diet. These dietary interviews and blood tests help us measure the nutritional status of U.S. adults and children.
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CDC's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) conducts NHANES. NHANES is the only national health survey that includes health exams, laboratory tests, and dietary interviews for participants of all ages.
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NHANES data can help improve the health of Americans. Survey data have driven changes in how doctors treat patients and how public policy supports good health.
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The NHANES program began in the early 1960s. It started as a series of surveys that focused on different population groups and health topics. Since 1999, NCHS has conducted NHANES without interruption—what we call continuous NHANES. Now, NHANES can focus on different health and nutrition measurements to meet changing information needs.
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Each year, about 5,000 adults and children in communities across the United States participate in NHANES. We use a random, scientific process to select the people we invite to participate. This process ensures that this group of people can accurately represent the health and nutritional status of everyone in our diverse nation.
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To collect data about a wide range of health and nutrition topics, NHANES includes—
- Interviews about health, diet, and personal, social, and economic characteristics
- Visits to our mobile exam center for dental exams and health and body measurements
- Laboratory tests by highly trained medical professionals
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(Text above quoted from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/about/ on 2025-03-23)