Abstract
The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, released data files from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2015-2016 survey cycle. A new NCHS report presents final data on mortality for 2015. NCHS launched a new website with guidance on reporting vital statistics to improve the accuracy of birth and death records reported through the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS).
NHANES Data Files for 2015-2016
Many of the public-use data files from the 2015-2016 NHANES cycle are now available. 1 NHANES collects data from a national sample of the nation’s civilian, noninstitutionalized population through household interviews, standardized physical examinations, and laboratory testing. Since 1960, the survey has produced national estimates of the prevalence of chronic conditions, the incidence of acute conditions, the nutritional status of the population, the extent of environmental exposures, behavioral patterns, and anthropometric measurements. The data can be analyzed by race/ethnicity, sex, age, education, and other demographic and socioeconomic characteristics.
Data are released in 2-year survey cycles to produce reliable estimates for population groups. To improve the accuracy of estimates for certain population subgroups, the 2015-2016 NHANES oversampled Hispanic, non-Hispanic black, non-Hispanic Asian, non-Hispanic white, and other people living at ≤185% of the federal poverty level, as well as non-Hispanic white and other people aged ≥80. In 2015-2016, of 15 327 people who were selected for NHANES from 30 survey locations, 9971 completed the interview, and 9544 were examined.
The NHANES website has numerous resources, including the 2015-2016 questionnaires, procedures, and protocols for each examination component, as well as NHANES analytical guidelines to assist in data analysis. Some of the major data files that are available now have data on blood pressure; cholesterol; body measurements; cardiovascular health; dermatology; diabetes; hepatitis A, B, and C; human immunodeficiency virus testing; physical activity; oral health; smoking; and numerous other topics. In addition to the 2015-2016 files, data from early cycles of the survey continue to be released and updated on the website.
Final 2015 Data on Mortality Available
A new NCHS report 2 presents final 2015 data on US deaths, death rates, life expectancy, infant mortality, and trends, by selected characteristics such as age, sex, Hispanic origin and race, state of residence, and cause of death. Data in the report are based on death certificates filed in state vital statistics offices and reported to NCHS through the NVSS.
In 2015, a total of 2 712 630 deaths were reported in the United States. The age-adjusted death rate, which accounts for the aging of the population, was 733.1 deaths per 100 000 population in 2015, an increase of 1.2% from the 2014 rate of 724.6 deaths per 100 000 population, and the first increase since 2005.
The 15 leading causes of death remained unchanged from 2014 to 2015: diseases of the heart (heart disease); malignant neoplasms (cancer); chronic lower respiratory diseases; accidents (unintentional injuries); cerebrovascular disease (stroke); Alzheimer’s disease; diabetes mellitus (diabetes); influenza and pneumonia; nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis (kidney disease); intentional self-harm (suicide); septicemia; chronic liver disease and cirrhosis; essential hypertension and hypertensive renal disease (hypertension); Parkinson’s disease; and pneumonitis due to solids and liquids. The 15 leading causes of death accounted for 80.9% of all deaths in 2015. Two causes of death—heart disease (23.4%) and cancer (22.0%)—accounted for nearly half of all deaths.
In 2015, a total of 23 455 deaths occurred in children aged <1 year, for an infant mortality rate of 5.9 infant deaths per 1000 live births. The number of infant deaths in 2014 was 23 215, but the infant mortality rate did not change substantially from 5.8 infant deaths per 1000 live births in 2014. The ratio of male-to-female infant mortality rates was 1.2:1.0 in 2015, unchanged from 2014. The 10 leading causes of infant death in 2015 were the same as in 2014 and accounted for 68.6% of all infant deaths in the United States. The 10 leading causes of death were: congenital malformations, deformations, and chromosomal abnormalities (congenital malformations); disorders related to short gestation and low birth weight, not elsewhere classified (low birth weight); sudden infant death syndrome; newborn affected by maternal complications of pregnancy (maternal complications); accidents (unintentional injuries); newborn affected by complications of placenta, cord, and membranes (cord and placental complications); bacterial sepsis of newborn; respiratory distress of newborn; diseases of the circulatory system; and neonatal hemorrhage.
Life expectancy at birth in 2015 was 78.8 years, down from 78.9 years in 2014. Life expectancy at birth in 2015 was 76.3 for males, down from 76.5 in 2014, and 81.2 for females, down from 81.3 in 2014. Since the early 1990s, life expectancy has generally increased each year, with occasional 1-year declines.
New Guidance on Reporting Vital Statistics
A new NCHS website feature 3 provides guidance to people reporting births and deaths, including instructions on how to complete the forms (birth, death, and fetal death certificates) and examples of completed forms. The website also addresses common pitfalls and discusses issues that may arise, with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of the information provided on births, deaths, and fetal deaths.
Footnotes
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The author declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The author received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.