68 National Vital Statistics

68.1 Organization

National Vital Statistics System (NVSS), CDC

68.3 Description

  • De-identified, patient-level, aggregate data
  • Birth, Period-Linked Birth – Infant Death, Birth Cohort Linked Birth – Infant Death, Mortality Multiple Cause and Fetal Death files are available
  • States and U.S. Territories data on separate files
  • Request of customized micro-data files is possible by completing a project review form
  • WONDER (https://wonder.cdc.gov/) allows querying of data online

68.4 Vintage/Release Frequency

Yearly, availability depends on measure (birth data and mortality data 1968 to current)

68.5 Observational Unit

Cases (patient-level)

68.6 Collection Methodology

  • Data obtained from birth and death certificates
  • They provide guidelines to jurisdictions on how to complete certificates
  • In 2010 they centralized coding at the NCHS

68.7 Available at

Free for download at https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data_access/vitalstatsonline.htm

68.8 User Guide/Data Dictionary

User guide available at same website as data download. Other documentation available at https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/mortality_methods.htm

68.9 Cost

Free

68.10 Proposal or Application required?

No

68.11 DUA required?

Implicit DUA when downloaded

68.12 Special Notes

NA