PRESIDENT’S INVITED COLUMN
This month, I have invited Nathaniel Schenker of the National Center for Health Statistics to discuss how that
agency provides information about the nation’s health. Since before 1960, NCHS has monitored health statistics,
initially under the stewardship of Forrest Linder. It is a wonderful resource for data and information.
Statistics in Monitoring the Nation’s Health
Nathaniel Schenker, Senior Scientist for
Research and Methodology, NCHS/CDC
I
’ve spent the past nine years at the health topics, including vital events An NCHS statistician often works
National Center for Health and demography, health conditions as part of a team, together with other
Statistics (NCHS), having previ- and behaviors, access to and qual- statisticians as well as specialists
ously taught biostatistics at UCLA for ity of health care, and injuries and in areas such as computer science,
11 years and worked at the U.S. disabilities. Sources of NCHS data demography, economics, epidemi-
Census Bureau for three years before include birth and death certificates, ology, medicine, public health, and
that. NCHS, which is part of the as well as various sample surveys that sociology. There are ample opportu-
Centers for Disease Control and collect information via review of nities for individual research projects,
Prevention, is the nation’s principal medical records, personal interviews, as well. Moreover, collaborations fre-
health statistics agency. Its motto is physical and dental examinations, quently occur with researchers at other
“Monitoring the Nation’s Health,” and laboratory tests. federal and local government agencies,
and its mission is to provide statistical in industry, and in academia.
information that will guide actions
‘S’ Stands for ‘Statistics’
and policies to improve the health of Given that the “s” in NCHS stands for
Mr. Academic Goes (Back) to
the American people. “statistics,” statisticians obviously have
Washington
a major role in the work of the agency.
When I decided to leave my tenured
Nathaniel
What Is Done at NCHS?
As do many agencies in the federal
Schenker
academic job in UCLA's Department
When I used to take my infant son statistical system, NCHS has separate
of Biostatistics in sunny California to
for a medical check-up, the pedia- divisions that focus on specific data col-
return to the East Coast and work for
trician would plot his height and lection systems and topics. Statisticians
the government, I was often asked,
weight on growth charts. Little did within these divisions work on the
“Are you crazy? Why would you do
I know the charts were produced by design and implementation of the
that?” Well, there were a number of
NCHS and were based primarily on data collections, analyses of the data,
reasons, some of them personal, such
data from NCHS’ National Health and preparation of the data for release
as my growing up in Washington and
and Nutrition Examination Survey to the public. Other statisticians (such
the East Coast having a lot to offer.
(NHANES). Similarly, when cars as I) work in offices within the agency
As a statistician, however, I was excit-
began to use unleaded gasoline, I that focus more on cross-cutting analy-
ed by the prospect of working at the
didn’t realize the formulation of poli- ses and research and on the develop-
source of health data that are impor-
cy to move away from leaded fuel was ment of statistical methodology, while
tant and of interest to many outside
based on analyses of data on blood- also providing consultation to the data
the agency. Indeed, at UCLA, I often
lead levels from the NHANES. (For divisions. Examples of methodologi-
ran across NCHS data and researchers
more on this policy, see the President’s cal research areas at NCHS include
analyzing them. Also, NCHS seemed
Invited Column in the May issue of optimal strategies for sample design,
like a relatively small, friendly agency,
Amstat News). questionnaire design, modeling and
so I didn’t feel as though I’d get lost
Indeed, NCHS collects and ana- estimation, data mining, developing
working there. And, it seemed to have
lyzes data and produces information indexes of health, confidentiality, and
a culture of conducting research, so
for the public on a wide range of handling missing data.
I thought I’d be able to continue my
2 AMSTAT NEWS SEPTEMBER 2008
SEPTEMBER AMSTAT FINAL.indd 2 8/20/08 2:26:54 PM
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