Information for NHANES Participants

Key points

  • The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) answers questions about American's health and nutrition.
  • NHANES combines interviews with health exams and laboratory tests.
  • NHANES mobile exam centers travel around the country to collect data from participants who represent tens of thousands of people like them.
The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey logo shows the outline of an apple. The apple's base is an EKG line

Welcome

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) monitors the health and nutrition of adults and children across the United States. NHANES is the only national survey that includes interviews, health exams, and laboratory tests for participants of all ages.

Our mobile exam centers travel across the country. Each has its own team of highly trained health professionals. Our teams use the most up-to-date methods and equipment for health exams and laboratory tests.

The NHANES program began in 1960. Since then, more than 240,000 people like you have taken part in our survey.

Note

The National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, conducts NHANES.

Your participation is important!

NHANES is a critical source of information about the health and nutrition of U.S. adults and children.

Each year, NHANES experts examine 5,000 people across the United States in mobile exam centers. By taking part, you will represent thousands of people like you across the country.

How you were chosen

NHANES uses a scientific process to select participants who will accurately represent the health and life experiences of people in the United States

Learn more

Help answer important health questions

For more than 60 years NHANES data have answered questions like—

  • What percent of U.S. adults have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes?
  • How widespread childhood obesity is in the United States?
  • Have people been exposed to chemicals in food or the environment?

Healthcare providers, government officials, and public health professionals use NHANES results to—

  • Increase knowledge about health problems
  • Develop health policies
  • Create health programs and services
Keep Reading: What NHANES Data Have Achieved

Data spotlight

Multicolor figures of adults with obesity. Text: 40% of adults 20 and older had obesity during August 2021–August 2023.
9.4% of adults had severe obesity. Women were more likely to have severe obesity than men.
Keep Reading: Obesity and Severe Obesity Prevalence in Adults: United States, August 2021–August 2023

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Content Source:
National Center for Health Statistics