Balancing sample design goals for the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey - ARCHIVED

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) is one of a series of health-related programs sponsored by the United States National Center for Health Statistics. A unique feature of NHANES is the administration of a complete medical examination for each respondent in the sample. To standardize administration, these examinations are carried out in mobile examination centers. The examination includes physical measurements, tests such as eye and dental examinations, and the collection of blood and urine specimens for laboratory testing. NHANES is an ongoing annual health survey of the noninstitutionalized civilian population of the United States. The major analytic goals of NHANES include estimating the number and percentage of persons in the U.S. population and in designated subgroups with selected diseases and risk factors. The sample design for NHANES must create a balance between the requirements for efficient annual and multiyear samples and the flexibility that allows changes in key design parameters to make the survey more responsive to the needs of the research and health policy communities. This paper discusses the challenges involved in designing and implementing a sample selection process that satisfies the goals of NHANES.