Health data are gathered from all kind of sources. The source, collection methodology, purpose, and limitations should always be considered when using data and statistics.
There are many considerations when conducting research and when looking a data there are three questions you should start with:
1. What is your focus or unit of analysis?
Are you interested in a particular population, disease, or geographic area? Are you focusing on specific data range?
2. Are there government agencies, non-government organizations (NGO's), or nonprofits that focus on your area of interest?
Government agencies, NGO's, and nonprofits collect large quantities of data every year and governments often publish health data and statistics yearly. Organizations and NGO's may focus on many or particular areas of health and may have to explore to find what you are looking for.
3. Have other scholars done research on a similar topic? Where did they get their data or statistics?
If you're not sure what kind of data or statistics are available, you can look through articles that focus on related topics. Looking at the citations of these articles to find where they got their data from and looking it up for yourself will be helpful on your research journey.
Healthdata.gov - Accessible data to entrepreneurs, researchers, and policymakers
CDC: National Center for Health Statistics - Statistics information provided by the CDC. Data provides insight into health of people across the United States
The Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care Archive - Data and visualizations dating 1996-2023 used by researchers, policymakers, non-governmental organizations, and media entities
Heath Journalism Data - Data and statistics created by the Association of Health Care Journalists for those working in health care journalism
Kids Count Data Center - Source for data on children, youth and families. Indicators are available state and nation wide
Data Resource Center for Child & Adolescent Health - Publicly disseminated user friendly information about data findings on and datasets and codebooks for the National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH)
CDC Wonder - databases for the analysis of public health data
CDC National Center for Health Statistics | FastStats - Easy access for statistics on variety of health topics, latest data in reports, databases, and additional tools and data
US Census Bureau | International Database | World Population Estimates and Projections - Accessible demographic measures for over 200 countries and areas of populations of 5,000 or more and for thousands of subnational areas (equivalent to U.S. states, counties, townships in other countries)
Health People 2030 - Data-driven national objectives to improve health and well-being over the next decade
Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) - The largest public health monitoring system in the U.S. focusing multiple health-related behaviors among high school students
CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) - State data about U.S. residents regarding health-related risk behaviors, chronic health conditions, and use of preventative surveys
National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) - Provides up-to-date information on tobacco, alcohol, drug use, mental health, and other health-related issues in the United States
City Health Dashboard - Created to provide easy access to data at the census tract or city level as a health improvement planning resource for U.S. cities
State Health Facts - Data and visualizations on various health indicators provided by the Kaiser Family Foundation. User has ability to compare across states
Health Statistics Center: West Virginia Department of Health & Human Resources Bureau for Public Health - Vital statistics relating to West Virginia. Vital records are also available on the site
County Health Rankings & Roadmaps - Health statistics on health factors from behaviors, clinical care, social & economic factors, physical environment, and more. Statistics are provided at county and state level
State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC) - View data resources by state on a number of indicators, primarily focused on health insurance.
WHO The Global Health Observatory - Health related statistics for members of the WHO. Provides access to 1000 indicators on priority health topics
Global Health Data Exchange IHME | GHDx - Worlds most comprehensive catalog of surveys, censuses, vital statistics, and other health-related data
International Health Care System Profiles - Resource for learning about health care systems around the world. Information is available on health systems, efforts to improve healthcare and healthcare reforms. Does not include all countries around the world but does have state specific information for the U.S.
INDEPTH Network - Data repository for population and health data for LMIC (low or middle income countries) countries
The Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Program - Data that has been collected, analyzed, and disseminated on population, health, HIV, and nutrition through more than 400 surveys in over 90 countries
NBER National Bureau on Economic Research | Portal of Public Use Datasets on Sub-Saharan Africa - Created to systematize public-use data on Sub-Saharan Africa
NBER National Bureau on Economic Research | Public Use Data Archive - Mix of public-use economic, demographic, and enterprise data obtained to satisfy requests of NBER-affiliated researchers for particular projects
UNData - web-based data service for the global user community. Brings international statistical databases within easy reach of user through a single entry point
World Health Organization (WHO) European Health Information Gateway - Accessible health data, information, and resources for all 53 Member States in the European Region of the WHO
CDC Vaccines & Immunizations VaxView Vaccination Coverage - Provides data on vaccination coverage for all ages
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Data Sets - Data research and evaluation information for practitioners, health promotion specialists, policymakers and consumers
American Caner Society Caner Facts and Statistics - Statistics and data on current cancer incident rates
Global Cancer Observatory - Interactive web-based platform providing global cancer statistics to inform cancer control and cancer research. Collected by WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer
American Heart Association Heart and Stroke Statistics - Statistics and infographic information on heart disease and stroke
CDC Heart Disease Facts - Statistics on heart disease in the U.S.
Organ Procurement & Transplantation Network (OPTN) - Data on transplant information including information candidate waiting list, organ donation, and transplantation
Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) - Run by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, site provides comprehensive hospital care data, including information on inpatient stays, visits and services. Information is meant for researchers, insurers, policymakers, and the public to study health care delivery and patient outcomes over time
Small Area Health Insurance Estimates (SAHIE) Program - US Census Bureau's Small Area Health Insurance Estimates program produces data for single-year estimates of health insurance coverage status for all counties in the U.S. by selected economic and demographic characteristics
Medical Expenditure Panel Survey - Set of large-scale surveys of families and individuals, their medical providers, and employers across the United States provided by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) | Data Tools - Explore data sources in depth through charts, maps, and more. Create and download charts and datasets to support your own research
U.S. Global Health Policy (Kaiser Family Foundation KFF) - Fact sheet providing an overview of U.S. funding for global health by program area
U.S. Global Health Legislation Tracker - Listing of global health-related legislation being considered during a congressional session
