

              THE 2004 NATIONAL NURSING HOME SURVEY (NNHS) 
                   Public-use Linked Mortality File				    

		         May 17, 2010
 
                   PUBLIC USE DATA RELEASE

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WARNING - DATA USE RESTRICTIONS! Read Carefully Before Use

The Public Health Service Act (Section 308 (d)) provides that 
the data collected by the National Center for Health Statistics 
(NCHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), may be 
used only for the purpose of health statistical reporting and
analysis.

Any effort to determine the identity of any reported case is 
prohibited by this law.

NCHS does all it can to assure that the identity of data 
subjects cannot be disclosed.  All direct identifiers, as well 
as any characteristics that might lead to identification, are 
either omitted from the data file or perturbed to prevent
re-identification. Any intentional identification or 
disclosure of a person or establishment violates the assurances 
of confidentiality given to the providers of the information.
Therefore, users will:

       1. Use the data in these data files for statistical 
          reporting and analysis only.

       2. Make no use of the identity of any person or 
          establishment discovered inadvertently and advise the 
          Director, NCHS, of any such discovery (301-458-4500).

       3. Not link these data files with individually 
          identifiable data from other NCHS or non-NCHS data 
          files.

By using these data, you signify your agreement to comply with 
the above-stated statutorily based requirements.


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INTRODUCTION

NCHS has conducted a mortality linkage of the 2004 National 
Nursing Home Survey (NNHS) with the National Death Index (NDI). 
Linkage of the 2004 NNHS survey participants with the NDI 
provides the opportunity to conduct a vast array of outcome 
studies designed to investigate the association of a wide 
variety of health factors with mortality. This is the first 
in a series of planned mortality linkages for the 2004 NNHS 
survey.

DATA FILE DESCRIPTION

The 2004 NNHS Public-use Linked Mortality File contains information 
based upon the results from a probabilistic match between 2004 NNHS 
participants and the NCHS National Death Index (NDI) records. The 
2004 NNHS Public-use Linked Mortality File provides mortality 
follow-up data from the date of nursing home admission through 
December 31, 2006. All 2004 NNHS participants are included on the 
Public-use Linked Mortality File. Variables provided on the file 
include: NNHS Resident Record (Case) Number, eligibility status, 
assigned vital status, mortality source, person months of follow-up 
from admission date and cause of death. 

MORTALITY LINKAGE METHODOLOGY DOCUMENTATION

NCHS employed a methodology for the 2004 NNHS Linked Mortality File
that was similar, but not identical, to the standard methodology 
offered by the NDI. The matching methodology document contains detailed
information regarding the methodology utilized for the linkage. Users
are urged to carefully read this document to gain a better understanding
of the matching methodology employed to link 2004 NNHS records to death 
records in the NDI. The matching methodology document can be found at
this web site:
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/datalinkage/matching_methodology_04nnhs_final.pdf


2004 NNHS PUBLIC-USE LINKED MORTALITY FILE SAMPLE PROGRAMS

There are two sample programs provided to assist researchers when reading
in the 2004 NNHS Public-use Linked Mortality File.

The first sample program provides data input statements. By using the 
ASCII data file (.DAT file) as input to the program, other types of
data files (e.g. SAS, SPSS) can be created. The 2004 NNHS sample ASCII
input statement program that reads in the 2004 NNHS Public-use Linked
Mortality File can be found at this web site:
ftp://ftp.cdc.gov/pub/Health_Statistics/NCHS/datalinkage/linked_mortality/nnhs04_sample_ascii_pgm_2010.sas

The second program provides researchers using STATA with code to read
in the data file and run their analyses using the STATA software. The 
2004 NNHS sample STATA program that reads in the 2004 NNHS Public-use
Linked Mortality File can be found at this web site:
ftp://ftp.cdc.gov/pub/Health_Statistics/NCHS/datalinkage/linked_mortality/nnhs04_sample_stata_ascii_pgm_2010.do

NOTE TO STATA USERS: If STATA users click on the "Sample STATA Program" link,
STATA may attempt to automatically run the program, resulting in an error message.
To avoid getting an error message, we suggest STATA users save the program by right
clicking on the link "Sample STATA Program" and select the "Save Target As" option.


FILE NAME	                FILE DESCRIPTION		           FORMAT (KB)

nnhs04_mort_public_use_2010.dat 2004 NNHS Public-use Linked Mortality File ASCII  330 


DOWNLOADING THE 2004 NNHS PUBLIC-USE LINKED MORTALITY FILE

To download the 2004 NNHS Public-use Linked Mortality File, go to
the web site: 
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data_access/data_linkage/mortality/nnhs_linkage.htm.

Scroll down to the link named, "2004 NNHS Linked Mortality Public-use Data file".
Right click on the link and select "Save Target as...". A “Save as” 
screen will appear and you will need to select and input a location 
where to save the data file on your computer. It is also important
that the box "Save Type as" reads ".dat Document". This will ensure
that the data file is saved to your computer in the correct format.

2004 NNHS PUBLIC-USE LINKED MORTALITY FILE DOCUMENTATION

There is a data file layout (also called data dictionary) associated
with the 2004 NNHS Public-use Linked Mortality File. The data
file layout is in PDF format that can be viewed with Adobe Acrobat
software. The Adobe Acrobat Reader Software can be downloaded from
the Adobe Acrobat Web site at:

http://www.adobe.com/prodindex/acrobat/readstep.html

The data file layout for the 2004 NNHS Public-use Linked Mortality 
File can be found at this web site: 
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/datalinkage/nnhs_04_mort_file_layout_public.pdf


2004 NNHS PUBLIC-USE LINKED MORTALITY FILE RECORD SEQUENCE

All records on the 2004 NNHS Public-use Linked Mortality File have
been sorted by the 2004 NNHS Resident Record (Case) Number (RESNUM).
Additional instructions regarding the 2004 NNHS Resident Record (Case)
Number are provided at this web site:
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/datalinkage/nnhs_04_mort_file_layout_public.pdf


MERGING THE 2004 NNHS PUBLIC-USE LINKED MORTALITY FILE TO OTHER PUBLIC-USE 2004 NNHS FILES

To merge data from the 2004 NNHS Public-use Linked Mortality File to 
the 2004 NNHS Current Resident public-use file, users should use the 
RESNUM provided on the 2004 NNHS Public-use Linked Mortality File. 
Users should refer to the Detailed Notes for Selected Variables in 
the file layout to view additional notes on the RESNUM variable at 
the web site:
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/datalinkage/nnhs_04_mort_file_layout_public.pdf


Users who want to combine the 2004 NNHS Public-use Linked Mortality File
with the 2004 Current Resident public-use data file should: 

1. Refer to the documentation for the 2004 NNHS Current Resident 
public-use data file at the web site:
ftp://ftp.cdc.gov/pub/Health_Statistics/NCHS/Dataset_Documentation/NNHS/nnhs04/2004ResidentFile_DataDictionary_061609.pdf

2. Review the Sample Design, Data Collection, and Estimation Procedures
for the 2004 NNHS Current Resident public-use data file at the web site:
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nnhsd/2004NNHS_DesignCollectionEstimates_072706tags.pdf

3. Refer to the Detailed Notes for Select Variables on the 2004 
NNHS Resident Record (Case) Number (RESNUM) in the file layout 
when merging the 2004 NNHS Current Resident public-use survey file 
to the 2004 NNHS Public-use Linked Mortality File at the web site:
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/datalinkage/nnhs_04_mort_file_layout_public.pdf


CONTACT INFORMATION

Updates about new data releases, publications, or errors will be 
sent to members of the NNHS Listserv.  To join, visit the  
website at:

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/dhcs/longterm_listserv.htm

For additional information on NNHS data linkage products, please
visit the NCHS data linkage web page at:

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data_access/data_linkage_activities.htm


For additional information on NNHS data products:

   Phone   : 1-800-232-4636
   FAX     : 301-458-4028
   E-mail  : cdcinfo@cdc.gov
   Internet: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nnhs.htm


For additional information on other NCHS data products:

   Phone   : 800-CDC-INFO
   E-mail  : nchsquery@cdc.gov
   Internet: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs


Although the 2004 NNHS Public-use Linked Mortality File was 
carefully edited, errors may be detected. Please e-mail the NCHS 
Data Linkage Staff at datalinkage@cdc.gov if any errors are detected
in the 2004 NNHS Public-use Linked Mortality File data or documentation. 

STATEMENT OF AUTHENTICITY

This material has been cleared for public distribution by 
CDC/ATSDR and will be authentic if obtained directly from 
ftp://ftp.cdc.gov/pub/Health_Statistics/NCHS/.  CDC/ATSDR takes 
all effort to assure the authenticity of electronically 
distributed documents.  However, in all instances where the 
electronic and official agency record differ, the authenticity 
of the official agency record is controlling.


GUIDELINES FOR CITATION OF THE 2004 NNHS PUBLIC-USE LINKED MORTALITY DATA

With the goal of mutual benefit, the National Center for Health 
Statistics(NCHS) requests that recipients of data files cooperate
in certain actions related to their use.  Any published material 
derived from the data should acknowledge NCHS as the original source.
The suggested citation to appear at the bottom of all published 
tables is as follows:

Source: National Center for Health Statistics 

When cited in a bibliography, the citation should read:

National Center for Health Statistics. Office of Analysis and
Epidemiology, Public-use Third National Health and Nutrition Examination
Survey Linked Mortality File, 2010.  Hyattsville, Maryland. (Available at 
the following address: 
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data_access/data_linkage/mortality/nnhs_linkage.htm

The published material should also include a disclaimer that credits
any analyses, interpretations, or conclusions reached to the author
(recipient of the data file) and not to NCHS, which is responsible
only for the initial data.  Consumers who wish to publish a technical
description of the data should make an effort to insure that the 
description is not inconsistent with that published by NCHS.






