Model Based State Estimates from the National Health Interview Survey

There is a continuing need to assess health status, health practices and health resources at both the national level and subnational levels. Estimates of these health items help determine the demand for quality health care and the access individuals have to it. Although National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) survey data systems can provide much of this information at the national level, little can be provided directly at the subnational level, except for a few large states and metropolitan areas. The need for State and substate health statistics exists, however, because health and health care characteristics are known to vary geographically. Also, health care planning often takes place at the state and county level.