National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH)

Access the newest data brief and publications

Analyze the Title V MCH Block Grant measures.

Data users can access the SAS and STATA Code Available for Title V MCH Block Grant Measures. The pooled SAS (ZIP - 20 KB) and STATA (ZIP - 16 KB) code is available for those interested in analyzing the new Title V MCH Block Grant measures informed by the NSCH. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please contact us at NSCH@hrsa.gov.

Get the newest data and resources.

The datasets are released annually on Child Health Day. The newest dataset is the 2024 dataset.

Attention

Historically enhanced 2016-2020 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) data files were released in April 2024 and are available on the NSCH datasets page. This data release is a continuation of the improvements that were made to the 2021 NSCH data set released in October 2024. These revised datasets should be used when combining or comparing with all years of the NSCH. Please read the weighting revisions technical document (PDF - 401 KB).

Conducting trend analysis with NSCH data.

While it is possible to conduct trend analysis of NSCH data since 2016, we do not recommend combining data from prior to the 2016 redesign. Due to changes in the survey’s mode of data collection, sampling frame, and questionnaire content, the original and redesigned surveys are substantially different, and trends or comparisons should NOT be made between them.
 

  • What is the NSCH?

Watch this video to learn about the NSCH and its value to our Nation.

The NSCH supports national efforts to improve the health and development of our children. We fund and direct the NSCH. The U.S. Census Bureau conducts this household survey each year. The survey provides national and state level data for key measures of child health and well-being. These data are essential to understanding the health status and health services needs of children across the nation and in your state and community.

Data briefs

Survey resources

Archived surveys

Attention

Trends or comparisons should NOT be made between these archived survey data and redesigned survey data due to substantial changes in the survey’s mode of data collection, sampling frame, and questionnaire content.

Our partner, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), houses the archived surveys and survey data we used prior to the 2016 NSCH redesign:

NSCH in the broader context

The NSCH supports national efforts to improve the health and development of our children.

The data are publicly available through the Data Resource Center for Child & Adolescent Health, a project of the Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative. This resource center provides access through an online interactive data query.

The Title V Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Block Grant uses the NSCH to inform many of their national outcome and performance measures that track the health and well-being of children. The survey provides data for 29 Title V national outcome and performance measures.

The Maternal and Child Health Jurisdictional Survey (MCH-JS) (PDF - 646 KB) is a new effort to provide information on the health and well-being of mothers and children in eight United States-affiliated jurisdictions. We based the survey on the NSCH, and then included questions on the health of mothers too. The survey provides data for 24 Title V national outcome and performance measures, previously unavailable for the jurisdictions.

Healthy People 2030 — an initiative that sets data-driven national objectives to improve the health and well-being over the next decade — also uses the NSCH to inform 16 of their objectives.

The National Survey of Children’s Health-Longitudinal Cohort is an extension of the annual NSCH. It collects information about the health and well-being of children and young adults in the United States.

Contact us

Need more information, or have a specific question? Contact us at NSCH@hrsa.gov.

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