National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2017-March 2020 Prepandemic Data Files-Development of Files and Prevalence Estimates for Selected Health Outcomes.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional national survey methodology and prevalence report (observational)
PubMed 39380201 · doi:10.15620/cdc:106273
What was done
Because the COVID-19 pandemic halted National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) field operations in March 2020, data from the partial 2019-March 2020 cycle were combined with 2017-2018 data to create nationally representative estimates. Primary sampling units were reassigned to 2015-2018 strata, and adjustment factors were applied to participant base weights to construct interview and examination weights. Demographic characteristics of the weighted sample were validated against the 2018 5-year American Community Survey, and prevalence estimates with 95% confidence intervals were calculated for selected health outcomes.
What was found
Among youth aged 2-19 years, obesity prevalence was 19.7% and prevalence of untreated or restored dental caries was 46.0%. Among adults aged 20 and over, age-adjusted prevalence of obesity was 41.9%, severe obesity was 9.2%, and diabetes was 14.8%. Among adults aged 18 and over, age-adjusted hypertension prevalence was 45.1%. Among adults aged 65 and over, age-adjusted prevalence of complete tooth loss was 13.8%.
Why it matters
This report establishes the weighting methodology used to rescue partial 2019-2020 NHANES data and provides the definitive nationally representative US baseline health prevalence estimates immediately preceding the COVID-19 pandemic.
Limits
The total sample size is not reported in the abstract. The cross-sectional design cannot evaluate changes over time or causality. The estimates depend on statistical weighting adjustments made to correct for the prematurely interrupted sampling cycle.
Cited by
- supports In the United States, 42% of adults are obese.