Data Cart

The National Health Interview Survey Linked Mortality Files Analytic Guidelines state, "The primary determination of mortality for eligible NHIS participants is based upon matching records to the NDI. However, NCHS collects multiple sources of information to determine the final mortality status of a NHIS survey participant. Examples of other sources of mortality include indication of deceased status from the Social Security Administration, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or death certificate review. If a source of mortality, other than a NDI record was available, the NHIS participant was considered deceased."

Other variables identifying the sources of mortality information are:

• MORTSSA (Mortality status obtained from Social Security Administration)

• MORTNDI (Mortality match with National Death Index)

The NDI is a central database that collects and stores death records from State vital statistics offices. As noted above, mortality ascertainment is first attempted through a probabilistic match between NHIS and NDI death certificate records, if there is sufficient identifying data (Social Security number, date of birth, and name). For additional information, see the technical documents from NCHS on the creation and analysis of the NHIS Linked Mortality Files.

IHIS also includes the following mortality variables released by NCHS in the NHIS linked public use mortality files:

• MORTSTAT (Final mortality status)

• MORTDODY (Year of death)

• MORTDODQ (Quarter of death)

• MORTUCOD (Underlying cause of death)

• MORTDIAB (Multiple cause of death flag, diabetes as a contributing factor)

• MORTHIPFX (Multiple cause of death flag, hip fracture as a contributing factor)

• MORTHYPR (Multiple cause of death flag, hypertension as a contributing factor)