North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics

North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics
The NCSCHS is responsible for data collection, health-related research, production of reports, and maintenance of a comprehensive collection of state and county-level health statistics. It provides high quality health information for better informed decisions and effective health policies. The goal is to improve the health of all North Carolinians and their communities.

Behavioral Risk Factor data (BRFSS)
The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is a randomized telephone survey of state residents aged 18 and older in households with telephones. Through BRFSS, information is collected in a routine, standardized manner at the state and regional level a on a variety of health behaviors and preventive health practices related to the leading causes of death and disability such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and injuries. Due to changes in the BRFSS survey methodology, BRFSS data are no longer available at the county level.

Social Determinants of Health
The State Center for Health Statistics has created an interactive map with a series of overlays showing social determinants of health indicators in North Carolina, including the economic, social and neighborhood, and housing and transportation status of residents across the state.

County-Level Health Data
The State Center for Health Statistics is committed to supplying Health Statistics that can inform state and county health policies and programs. Many of its annual publications contain statistics at the county level. This link provides a comprehensive list of annual reports and special studies that include county-level data, on topics such as births, deaths, cancer incidence and mortality, pregnancy and others. This website also has other data, such as state and county trends on key health indicators, reports from the office of the chief medical examiner and health department staffing and services summaries estimates.

NCSCHS County Health Databook
One of the best resources for county level health statistics is the County Health Data Book. Published in conjunction with the Community Health Assessment Initiative, the State Center for Health Statistics began generating the County Health Data Book on an annual basis in 2002 (prior to this, the Data Book was not published every year). The County Data Book is created to provide communities with quantitative data to support community health assessments. The County Health Data Book includes a wide range of health-related county and state data.

Central Cancer Registry
The Central Cancer Registry (CCR) collects, processes, and analyzes data on all cancer cases diagnosed among North Carolina residents. All health care providers are required by law to report cases to the CCR (as in nearly all other states), but the primary data source is the hospitals of the state. The CCR supplements hospital data with reports from physicians who diagnose cases that are not seen in a hospital. Death certificates and pathology laboratory reports are used to help identify cases that are missed in the routine reporting. Duplicate reports are consolidated in the data editing process. This is primarily a cancer surveillance activity, monitoring the incidence of cancer among the various populations of the state.

Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring Survey
North Carolina PRAMS, the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, is a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) initiative to reduce infant mortality and low birth weight. PRAMS collects data on maternal attitudes and experiences prior to, during, and immediately after pregnancy for a sample of North Carolina women. The sample data are analyzed in a way that allows findings to be applied to all North Carolina women who have recently had a baby.

NC Vital Statistics
The SCHS’ NC Vital Statistics page provides all SCHS Annual Publications. Available publications include North Carolina Vital Statistics, Volume 1 and Volume 2; Basic Automated Birth Yearbook; Detailed Mortality Statistics; North Carolina Reported Pregnancies; Infant Mortality Statistics; Child Deaths; and Vital Facts, among other publications.

NC Health Data Query System
The North Carolina Health Data Query System is a web-based interactive database system that provides customized reports of health data based on user-specified selection of variables (e.g. age, race, county). Available data include birth, pregnancy, mortality data, as well as population estimates.

NCSCHS Racial and Ethnic Minority Health Data
This resource is intended to make it easier to find racial and ethnic minority health data on the SCHS web site. Data and publications featuring racial or ethnic differences are presented, as well as several links to related web sites focusing on racial and ethnic minority health.

Additional North Carolina Specific Data

Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research
Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research seeks to improve the health of individuals, families, and populations by understanding the problems, issues and alternatives in the design and delivery of health care services. This is accomplished through an interdisciplinary program of research, consultation, technical assistance and training that focuses on timely and policy-relevant questions concerning the accessibility, adequacy, organization, cost and effectiveness of health care services and the dissemination of this information to policy makers and the general public.

North Carolina Health Professions Data System (HPDS)
The HPDS has been developed at the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to collect and disseminate timely and reliable data on selected licensed health professionals in North Carolina.

Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (GIS)
The Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (CGIA) is the lead agency for geographic information systems (GIS) services and GIS coordination for the State of North Carolina. CGIA provides GIS services to state and local governments as well as the private sector. The Coordination Program brings the statewide community together to promote data sharing, informed decision-making, and cost efficiencies.

NC DETECT (ED Data)
The North Carolina Disease Event Tracking and Epidemiologic Collection Tool provides statewide early event detection and timely public health surveillance to public health officials and hospital users using a variety of secondary data sources. Authorized users are currently able to view data from emergency departments, the Carolinas Poison Center, and the Pre-hospital Medical Information System (PreMIS), as well as pilot data from select urgent care centers.

NC Healthy Schools
The NC Youth Risk Behavior Survey helps assess behaviors in youth that impact their health now and in the future. Topics include violence, personal safety, physical activity, nutrition, mental health, tobacco, drugs and alcohol, protective factors and sexual behavior questions.

NC Interactive Crash Data Tool
Created and housed at the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center, the NC Interactive Crash Data Tool is designed for researching and analyzing bicycle and pedestrian crash data in North Carolina. In the past, collecting and analyzing crash data was a difficult and time-consuming process because there was no central location for information on pedestrian and bicycle crashes. Thanks to the capabilities of technology and investment by the Division of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation, information from more than 9,000 recent bicycle and pedestrian crashes with motor vehicles has been compiled to create an interactive database that covers the whole state of North Carolina. The data bank allows queries of the cross-tabulated information by city, county, state, and other variables.

Epidemiology Branch of NC Public Health

NC Department of Health and Human Services’ Epidemiology Section
The NC Department of Health and Human Services’ Epidemiology Section offers the following services: information on disease and injury prevention and control; consultations on community health problems; surveillance and prevention activities, as well as provision of outpatient care and support services related to HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases; identification of environmental or occupational threats to health from asbestos, lead, chemicals, “dusty trades,” intensive livestock operations, harmful algal blooms, mold and other environmental factors; investigation, intervention strategies and education on disease outbreaks and prevention; and medical evaluation for workers in hazardous trades.

Communicable Disease Control
The Communicable Disease Branch primarily deals with infectious diseases that are reportable by law to the state health department, as well as a few other communicable diseases of public health significance, such as influenza, norovirus infection and certain healthcare-associated infections. Other functions include: Ongoing information and education for the public, healthcare providers and local health departments on communicable diseases and how to prevent them: Alerts and timely information about emerging or seasonal communicable disease events, such as flu, food-borne illness, or the occurrence of a new (novel) communicable disease; Routine surveillance and quality assurance of disease reporting by physicians, hospitals and laboratories to detect trends and assess the public health impact of disease; Investigation of and intervention in response to disease outbreaks, as well as the ongoing development of strategies, policies, and practices to prevent the spread of diseases; Training in disease surveillance, reporting criteria, data quality, investigation and control for local health departments; Management of veterinary public health issues, such as control and prevention of rabies and other diseases of animal origin that can affect humans; Outpatient care and support services related to HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases, and tuberculosis; as well as other functions.

HIV/STD Data and Statistics
This site provides access to quarterly and annual reports containing the most recent data on HIV/AIDS, syphilis, gonorrhea, and Chlamydia as well as the annual HIV Prevention and Community Planning Epidemiologic Profile for North Carolina, which is the most comprehensive report available for HIV/AIDS.

HIV/STD Prevention and Care
The HIV/STD Prevention and Care Branch is located in the Epidemiology Section of the Division of Public Health. Its mission is twofold: eliminate morbidity and mortality due to sexually transmitted diseases– syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, HIV/AIDS; and assure that an up-to-date continuum of care services is available for all HIV-infected individuals residing in North Carolina. This site provides access to information about HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in North Carolina. This site provides access to quarterly and annual reports containing the most recent data on HIV/AIDS, syphilis, gonorrhea, and Chlamydia as well as the annual HIV Prevention and Community Planning Epidemiologic Profile for North Carolina, which is the most comprehensive report available for HIV/AIDS.

National Health Data and Statistics

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website is the CDC’s primary online communication channel for credible, reliable information on a national level for data and statistics, health conditions, environmental health, healthy living, and more. The website is designed to provide health and safety information to all interested parties such as individuals, students, researchers, and media.

National Center for Health Statistics
As the Nation’s principal health statistics agency, the National Center for Health Statistics compiles statistical information to guide actions and policies to improve the health of our people.

County Health Rankings and Roadmaps

The County Health Rankings & Roadmaps program is a collaboration between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. This effort releases the annual County Health Rankings, which measure vital health factors, including high school graduation rates, obesity, smoking, unemployment, access to healthy foods, the quality of air and water, income inequality, and teen births in nearly every county in America. The annual Rankings provide a snapshot of how health is influenced by where we live, learn, work and play. The Roadmaps provide guidance and tools to understand the data, and strategies that communities can use to move into action. The Roadmaps are helping communities bring people together from all walks of life to look at the many factors that influence health, focus on strategies that we know work, learn from each other, and make changes that will have a lasting impact on health.

Demographic Characteristics of States, Counties and Sub-county Geographic Areas

United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about the nation’s people and economy. The goal of the Census is to provide the best mix of timeliness, relevancy, quality, and cost for services and the data collected. The Census Bureau tracks people and household estimates, as well as income, poverty, and economic data at the state, county, and sub-county levels.

NC State Demographer’s Office
The State Demographics branch of the Office of State Budget and Management is responsible for producing population estimates and projections. The annual estimates of the population of North Carolina counties and municipalities are used in the distribution of state shared revenues to local governments. County and state population projections, available by age, race (white/other) and sex, are used for long range planning.