Library Guides: Public Health: Secondary Research/Data Analysis

Locating Data Sets

On this page, you will find resources that will help you locate datasets for your research assignments. If you do see a data repository that relates to your research topic, please contact me for assistance.

videos

[eBook] SAGE Secondary Data Analysis

[Ebook] SAGE Secondary Data Analysis by John Goodwin (Editor)

Circulating Book (Sherman Library)

Secondary Data Sources for Public Health by Sarah Boslaugh Secondary data play an increasingly important role in epidemiology and public health research and practice; examples of secondary data sources include national surveys such as the BRFSS and NHIS, claims data for the Medicare and Medicaid systems, and public vital statistics records. Although a wealth of secondary data is available, it is not always easy to locate and access appropriate data to address a research or policy question. This practical guide circumvents these difficulties by providing an introduction to secondary data and issues specific to its management and analysis, followed by an enumeration of major sources of secondary data in the United States. Entries for each data source include the principal focus of the data, years for which it is available, history and methodology of the data collection process, and information about how to access the data and supporting materials, including relevant details about file structure and format.
Call Number: RA409 .B66 2007

Databases for Student Data Analysis

General Social Survey (GSS)
NORC/University of Chicago very easy to navigate and user friendly HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
UN Data
UN database contains a broad range of interesting statistical measures that are global in scope but is poorly organized and not very easy to format for analysis.
National Vital Statistics System-Birth data
Not a database but does contain accumulated vital statistics. Not formatted for R, SAS or statistical package.
Knoema
Broad range of (free to the public) open data from around the world. Knoema is a search engine for data seamlessly connecting public and private sources and making data discoverable and accessible to information workers. Knoema does for data what Google did for websites and the Internet overall. It makes it trivial to find data when you need it and make a story out of it.
European Data Portal
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
Commonwealth Fund. Data on healthcare and nations

Health Data Tools and Statistics

Extremely comprehensive list of Health Data Tools & Statistics websites from Public Health Partners

Health Survey Data

Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS)
The Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Program has collected, analyzed, and disseminated accurate and representative data on population, health, HIV, and nutrition through more than 300 surveys in over 90 countries.
Health Data Initiative- the health related division of data.gov
Health Data Initiative- the health related division of data.gov
Over 2800 online data sets accessible to entrepreneurs, researchers, and policy makers; including clinical care provider quality information, nationwide health service provider directories, databases of the latest medical and scientific knowledge, consumer product data, community health performance information, government spending data and much more.
Health Services Research Information Central
A data repository site linking to over 80 federal, non-federal and other data bases ranging from Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) which provides access to a plethora of data and surveys on healthcare access, expenditures, quality, etc. to Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS), an interactive database system that provides customized reports of injury-related data, to National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics (NCVAS) USA, which links to data sources and data sets within the VA. Includes instructions on how to request permission to access VA data.
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)
The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) is a program of studies designed to assess the health and nutritional status of adults and children in the United States. The survey is unique in that it combines interviews and physical examinations. NHANES is a major program of the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)…The survey examines a nationally representative sample of about 5,000 persons each year. The examination component consists of medical, dental, and physiological measurements, as well as laboratory tests administered by highly trained medical personnel. Findings from this survey will be used to determine the prevalence of major diseases and risk factors for diseases.
Youth Risk Behavioral Survey System (YRBSS)
The YRBSS was developed in 1990 to monitor priority health risk behaviors that contribute markedly to the leading causes of death, disability, and social problems among youth and adults in the United States. These behaviors, often established during childhood and early adolescence, include
• Behaviors that contribute to unintentional injuries and violence.
• Sexual behaviors related to unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV infection.
• Alcohol and other drug use.
• Tobacco use.
• Unhealthy dietary behaviors.
• Inadequate physical activity.
In addition, the YRBSS monitors the prevalence of obesity and asthma and other priority health-related behaviors plus sexual identity and sex of sexual contacts.
From 1991 through 2015, the YRBSS has collected data from more than 3.8 million high school students in more than 1,700 separate surveys.
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS)
In 1984, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) initiated the state-based Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)--a cross-sectional telephone survey that state health departments conduct monthly over landline telephones and cellular telephones with a standardized questionnaire and technical and methodologic assistance from CDC. BRFSS is used to collect prevalence data among adult U.S. residents regarding their risk behaviors and preventive health practices that can affect their health status.
California Women’s Health Survey (CWHS)
The California Women's Health Survey (CWHS) is an annually conducted survey about women's health and serves as a catalyst for innovative solutions that impact the health of California's women and girls.
The Survey was established to provide information to policy-makers and health professionals about women's health and to serve as a catalyst for innovative solutions that impact the health of California's women and girls.
National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG)
The National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) gathers information on family life, marriage and divorce, pregnancy, infertility, use of contraception, and men's and women's health. The survey results are used by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and others to plan health services and health education programs, and to do statistical studies of families, fertility, and health.

Global Health Data

Global Health Observatory Data Repository
The GHO "By category" view provides data classified according to health related topics. Relevant indicators are grouped together in the various data views in order to provide broader context for the information provided.
WHO Mortality Database
The WHO Mortality Database is a compilation of mortality data by age, sex and cause of death, as reported annually by Member States from their civil registration systems.
WHO Global Health Estimates
The WHO Global Health Estimates provide a comprehensive and comparable assessment of mortality and loss of health due to diseases and injuries for all regions of the world.
Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME)
IHME tracks diseases and measures disease burden for 187 countries, using systematic peer reviewed methodology to gather a comprehensive picture of global disease burden.

General Data

1000 Genomes Project
The 1000 Genomes Project ran between 2008 and 2015, creating the largest public catalogue of human variation and genotype data.
Data.gov
The government’s open data source with almost 200,00 datasets ranges in topics from health, agriculture, climate, ecosystems, public safety, finance, energy and manufacturing to oceans, education and business. Search by topic, or use query button to browse all categories at once.
Federal Reserve Economic Data - FRED - St. Louis Fed
Download, graph, and track 397000 economic time series from 79 sources.
ICPSR, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan
An international consortium of more than 750 academic institutions and research organizations, ICPSR provides leadership and training in data access, curation, and methods of analysis for the social science research community. ICPSR maintains a data archive of more than 250,000 files of research in the social sciences. It hosts 16 specialized collections of data in education, aging, criminal justice, substance abuse, terrorism, and other fields.
Multiple Indictor Cluster Survey (MICS)
UNICEF assists countries in collecting and analyzing data in order to fill data gaps for monitoring the situation of children and women through its international household survey initiative the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS). UNICEF has strategically invested in data collection and helped transform the data landscape for more than 20 years. The global Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) programme is the centerpiece of this strategy.
OpenWeatherMap
Access to current weather, forecasts, maps and historical data in JSON, XML, and HTML formats. Free API key and API search query required to access the data.
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Data
The mission of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is to promote policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world. The OECD provides statistical data on a wide range of topics in economics, political science, environmental studies, etc.
Twitter
The REST APIs provide programmatic access to read and write Twitter data.
UK-AIR database
The UK-AIR database provides access to air quality data for specific collecting sites in the United Kingdom.
World Values Survey (WVS)
The World Values Survey (www.worldvaluessurvey.org) is a global network of social scientists studying changing values and their impact on social and political life, led by an international team of scholars, with the WVS association and secretariat headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. The survey, which started in 1981, seeks to use the most rigorous, high-quality research designs in each country.

Women and Pregnancy Data

Listening to Mothers
Childbirth Connection's landmark national Listening to Mothers surveys capture the views of those who care most about maternity issues: mothers themselves. The surveys cover the time from before pregnancy through the postpartum and infant periods, and shed light on women's attitudes, beliefs, preferences and knowledge on a broad range of topics, as well as their maternity care experiences and family and employment life.
National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG)
The National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) gathers information on family life, marriage and divorce, pregnancy, infertility, use of contraception, and men's and women's health. The survey results are used by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and others to plan health services and health education programs, and to do statistical studies of families, fertility, and health.
California Women’s Health Survey (CWHS)
The California Women's Health Survey (CWHS) is an annually conducted survey about women's health and serves as a catalyst for innovative solutions that impact the health of California's women and girls.
Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS)
PRAMS, the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, is a surveillance project of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state health departments. Developed in 1987, PRAMS collects state-specific, population-based data on maternal attitudes and experiences before, during, and shortly after pregnancy. PRAMS surveillance currently covers about 83% of all U.S. births.

Childinfo
Statistical data on the situation of women and children throughout the world, gathered and analyzed through UNICEF's Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) program.
ChildStats.gov
Provides contact information for staff, and information about data tools available, from federal agencies in multiple domains, including: family and social environment, health care, physical environment and safety and health. Operated by the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics.
MCH Data Connect
Provides a catalog of maternal and child health data sets and interactive tools. Operated by Harvard University School of Public Health through the Dataverse Network project.

US Federal Government Health Data

Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS)
The CMS data navigator provides a portal to link data seekers to sources of data related to CMS. Data provided is that which is publicly available with non-identifying information.
CDC-Wonder Online Databases
Includes national health statistics for infants, children, adolescents, adults, and older adults. There are also links to the MMWR morbidity and mortality tables available.
CDC- National Center for Health Statistics
The National Center for Health Statistics site includes explanations about data access and use. Data from CDC Wonder and WISQARS is available. Data about diseases and conditions are available for ten broad topics, including diabetes, cardiovascular, and dementia and mental health.
CDC- Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)
BRFSS is the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's public health inquiry tool.
National Library of Medicine Health Statistics
"The Health Statistics and Numerical Data subject guide includes some of the major sources of health and general statistics in the United States and a brief list of international resources."
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
SAMHSA has prioritized data, outcomes and quality - realizing an integrated data strategy and a national framework for quality improvement in behavioral health care will inform policy, measure program impact, and lead to improved quality of services and outcomes of individuals, families, and communities. Data helps SAMHSA and the nation assess the impact of the changes to US health care systems and identify and address behavioral health disparities.

General Public Health Data Sets

CDC Wonder
Provides access to CDC databases and other public health data collections, organized topically within the following categories: chronic conditions; communicable diseases; environmental health; health practice and prevention; injury prevention and occupational health.
Health Data Tools and Statistics
Comprehensive list of links to local, state, national and international health statistics and data sets. Provided by Partners in Information Access for the Public Health Workforce, a collaboration of U.S. government agencies, public health organizations and health sciences librarians.
Health Statistics Guide
A link to the Health Statistics Guide created by librarians at UNC-CH Health Sciences Library. This guide provides links to additional local, national and global public health resources.
International Programs Data
Maintained by the International Programs division of the U.S. Census bureau. Provides demographic, socioeconomic and HIV/AIDS statistics for over 200 countries.
National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)
Portal to public access and secure NCHS data sets, tools and a data linkage program. The NCHS collects data on characteristics that describe the health of a population, determinants of health and health care.
Toxicology Data Network (TOXNET®)
A collection of databases, managed by a division of the National Library of Medicine, that cover the following topics: chemicals and drugs; diseases and the environment; occupational safety and health; environmental health; poisoning; risk assessment and toxicology.

Hospital Data

American Association of Hospitals (AHA)
AHA provides reports and studies about hospital related data.
Healthcare cost and utilization project (HCUPnet)
Healthcare cost and utilization project (HCUPnet) is a freely available statistical information on community hospital information covering: hospital stays, conditions, costs including Medicare, Medicaid, private, and uninsured patients.
CDC- National Hospital Care Survey
The National Hospital Care Survey (NHCS) is designed to provide accurate and reliable health care statistics that answer key questions of interest to health care and public health professionals, researchers and health care policy makers.
US National Health Care Surveys
There are many freely available datasets related to national health care. To view the list of existing datasets, click the link above and select from the available list of resources.

Public Health: Secondary Research/Data Analysis

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