Health Data Website Guide: 

Centers for Disease Control http//:www.cdc.gov

Description: 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the lead federal agency for protecting the health and safety of people - at home and abroad, providing credible information to enhance health decisions, and promoting health through strong partnerships. CDC serves as the national focus for developing and applying disease prevention and control, environmental health, and health promotion and education activities designed to improve the health of the people of the United States. CDC, located in Atlanta, Georgia, is an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. Site has many parts, the most relevant of which are described below. Site contains data, reports, and links to other CSC, federal and non-federal health information sites.

Comments: 

Use for comprehensive state or national-level health data information, as well as background and recent information on a variety of health-related topics. See comments below for unique features of parts of this site.

Directions for reaching the following data: 

Go to site, scroll down, select and click on Data and Statistics. In Data and Statistics the following categories may be of interest: Scientific Data, Surveillance, Health Statistics (link only) and (at the very bottom of page, in small print) Health Topics A-Z. 

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data: Contents: "Interactive databases" with prevalence data, trends data, and BRFSS questions for each of the past several years. "Information about the BRFSS" includes background, FAQs, state information, and related links. Demographic breakdown/ populations: State-level data. Varies by state. NC data allows analyses by gender, age, race, income, and education. NC data available yearly from 1995-2001. Political unit(s): USA as a whole, each state. Allows comparison of any two states. Notes: Under the category "Surveillance" click on "Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System." Tracks personal health behaviors yearly in each state and DC since 1994. Core set of questions allows state-to-state comparisons. Other modules asked on rotating basis or irregularly. Very user-friendly. Excellent graphics. "Trends" is perhaps one of the most useful features.

CDC Wonder: Contents: Access to 37 different data sets kept by CDC (as well as other agencies, often), eg., mortality, natality, census, population/census state projections, YRBSS, BRFSS Demographic breakdown/ populations: Varies by data set. Very easy to select desired sub-set based on demographics. Mortality statistics allow you to age-adjust or not. Political unit(s): USA as a whole, each state. Notes: Under the category "Scientific Data" click on CDC WONDER. Click on "Get information." Many of the data sets allow queries that can't be done elsewhere, even though the data themselves may be available elsewhere; e.g., years of potential life lost (YPLL) is available for mortality statistics. Breakdowns by demographics are helpful, as well. Some data are available by county within state, but the if so, the data are less recent than available from the state.

CDC Wonder Data2010: Contents: DATA2010 is an interactive database system developed by staff of the division of Health Promotion Statistics of the National Center for Health Statistics, and contains the most recent monitoring data for tracking Healthy People 2010. Demographic breakdown/ populations: Data are included for all the objectives and subgroups identified in the Healthy People 2010: Objectives for Improving Health. Political unit(s): DATA2010 contains national and some State data. State data is now available for a number of objectives. Notes: URL: http://wonder.cdc.gov/data2010/. Updated quarterly. Updates include new data years, and possibly revisions to baseline data.

Health Topics A-Z: Contents: Fact sheets, disease prevention and health information from A to Z (e.g., Anthrax, Cancer, Drownings, Zoster). Demographic breakdown/ population: Each topic has sections. E.g., under "Asthma:" National Asthma Control Program, Announcement, data, Intervention, Legislation & Policy, Links, Other CEDC Asthma Sites & Programs, Resources. Political unit(s): Varies. Notes: On CDC home page, scroll down and click on Health Topics A-Z. Good site for both broad and deep information on a health-related topic.