Table 1.
Summary of characteristics of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS), Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), and California Health Interview Survey (CHIS)
| Characteristic | NHIS | HINTS | BRFSS | CHIS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mode of administration (2005) | In-person interviews | RDD landline telephone interviewsa | RDD landline telephone interviewsb | RDD landline telephone interviewsc |
| Sample size (adults; 2005) | 31,428 | 5,586 | 328,485 | 43,020 |
| Overall response rate (adults; 2005) | 69% | 21% | 37% | 27% |
| Language of administration | English, Spanish | English, Spanish | English, Spanish | English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese |
| Representativeness | Nationally-representative; oversamples African-American, Asian, and Hispanic respondents | Nationally-representative; oversamples African-American and Hispanic respondents | Representative of states and territories; oversampling varies by state | Representative of California; oversamples Korean and Vietnamese respondents |
| Geocoding (use restricted in some cases) | Census region, census division, state, county, zip code, census block/tract, municipality | Census region, census division, designated market area, rural urban continuum code | State, county, some metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas (MMSA) | Stratum, county, zip code, census tract, latitude, longitude, address and cross streets |
| Existing data linkages | NCHS-linked mortality data, Medicare enrollment and claims, Social Security benefit history; MEPS | None | None | None |
| Estimates available for researchers | Data briefs and Health E-stats | HINTS briefs and item-specific estimates | Surveillance summaries | Interactive AskCHIS |
| Website | www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis.htm | hints.cancer.gov | http://www.cdc.gov/brfss | www.chis.ucla.edu |
Notes: RDD = random-digit dial; NCHS = National Center for Health Statistics; MEPS= Medical Expenditure Panel Survey
a
In 2007/2008, HINTS was administered through random-digit dial interviews and mailing surveys to a national address-based sample; in 2011/2012, 2012/2013, and 2013 the survey was administered through mailing to a national address-based sample.
b
In 2011, BRFSS added cell phones as part of their regular sample.
c
In 2007, CHIS added cell phones as part of their regular sample.