Health Data Source Quick Stop
Looking for data sources for your research?
There are thousands out there in the public domain. We started a listing here and will add more if you help us! Send us you favorite URLs for data sources for health data research to: cqls-hds@lists.oregonstate.edu
We will be updating the list of sources periodically, so check back!!
US Data Sources
- Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research (AHRQ)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- CDC/National Center for Health Statistics
- Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Office of the Chief Data Officer
- George Washington University Compilation
- Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health Compilation
- Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR)
- IPUMS
- National Library of Medicine (NLM)
- University of California at Irvine Machine Learning Repository
Geographic Area Database
US Data for Geographic Area Structural Determinants of Health (SDOH)
Social Vulnerability Index (SVI)
The SVI was created by the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC). It is based on census tract, and uses data from the American Community Survey, a geographic subdivision generally containing between 1500-8000 people. Values are percentile rankings and can be ranked relative to state or country. The SVI includes 16 census variables on four themes-socioeconomic status, household composition, minority status or language, and housing or transportation. It is updated every 2 years. GRASP released the official CDC/ASTDR SVI 2020 update in October 2022. As of February 2025, the 2024 data are no longer posted. Check back
Area Deprivation Index (ADI)
The ADI was created by US Health Resources & Services Administration and adapted by University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. It uses neighborhood census block level. The ADI uses American Community Survey (ACS) Five Year Estimates in its construction. The 2020 ADI (v3.2) was constructed using the 2016-2020 5-year estimates from the US Census' American Community Survey.
It is available through Neighborhood Atlas, and combines 17 specific indicators (poverty, housing, education, employment, etc.). It can be ranked relative to state or country. Percentile rank: 50th, 80th, 95th percentile or higher compared to lower percentiles. As of February 2025, the 2022 data are available.
International Data Sources
- World Health Organization
- The Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Program, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has collected, analyzed, and disseminated accurate and representative data on population, health, HIV, and nutrition through more than 400 surveys in over 90 countries.
Important US Household Surveys
American Community Survey (ACS) The ACS helps local officials, community leaders, and businesses understand the changes taking place in their communities. It is the premier source for detailed US population and housing information.
National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) The NHIS has been conducted since 1957 by the National Center for health statistics [NCHS] and its predecessor agency. The survey collects data from a large representative sample of households in the United States. NHIS is “the principal source of information on the health of the civilian non-institutionalized population of the United States.” It includes data on health status, care, demography and behaviors.
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) The BRFSS consists of a series of state-based household surveys conducted by state health departments with technical assistance and support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), conducted since 1996, is a set of large-scale surveys of families and individuals, their medical providers, and employers across the US. MEPS is the most complete source of data on the cost and use of health care and health insurance coverage.
National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) The NSDUH is conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA]. The survey tracks substance abuse and mental health of the non-institutionalized population of the US.