Chronic Disease Data Sources and Reports

The Department and federal agencies collect data on deaths, behaviors, diseases, and other indicators that are used to better understand why certain diseases and conditions occur and who is most affected. Links to disease-specific data and report pages maintained by the Division of Chronic Disease Prevention are provided below. Links are also provided to other reports and data sources for surveillance systems maintained by the New York State Department of Health related to chronic disease prevention and control. The Health Statistics Information links lead to resources that explain commonly used statistical terms.

Topic Specific Data & Reports

Links to chronic disease and chronic disease risk factor pages are provided below. These pages contain specific data resources and reports on each topic area.

Division of Chronic Disease Prevention Data Sources and Descriptions

  • Adult Tobacco Survey (ATS)
    The ATS has been fielded continually since June 2003 to the non-institutionalized adult population of New York State, aged 18 years or older. The ATS assesses (a) adult tobacco-related behavior, attitudes, and beliefs; (b) tobacco purchasing and cessation attempt behavior; (c) health status and health-related problems; (d) attitudes toward and exposure to secondhand smoke; (e) perceptions of risk related to tobacco use; (f) recollection of exposure to tobacco advertising or anti-tobacco health communications; and (g) attitudes toward smoking policies.
  • Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)
    The BRFSS is an annual statewide random telephone and cellular surveillance survey designed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). BRFSS monitors modifiable risk behaviors and other factors contributing to the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in adults. New York State's BRFSS sample is representative of the adult population, aged 18 years and older, living in private residences or college housing who have either a landline or cellular telephone. Adults living in group homes or congregate settings are excluded from the survey. Local health indicators by county and region based on BRFSS data are available via Health Data NY. The local data are available for over 50 indicators at the county, DSRIP region, NYC/ROS, and state levels. More detail is available on the Expanded Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System page. Reports based on BRFSS data are available on the BRFSS Reports Page.
  • Chronic Disease Public Opinion Poll
    The New York State Department of Health conducts an annual survey of adult residents of New York State to understand the public's beliefs about public health issues and to assess support for public health policies to address chronic disease and promote health. Available reports provide relevant data to mobilize public health action.
  • New York State Cancer Registry
    The New York State Cancer Registry website provides the number of cancer cases or deaths and the age-adjusted rates for New York State, New York City, New York State exclusive of New York City, and county, by site of cancer, and gender for the most recent five-year period. Similar data are also available for New York City Neighborhoods, selected areas in Nassau, Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester counties, and the cities of Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and Yonkers. Detailed data on the number of cancer cases or deaths and rates by age, race and year of diagnosis, and the proportion of cases diagnosed at early stages is also available.
  • Student Weight Status Category Reporting System (SWSCRS)
    SWSCRS was established in 2007 to support state and local efforts to understand and confront the problem of childhood obesity. SWSCRS collects weight status category data (underweight, healthy weight, overweight or obese, based on BMI-for-age percentile) at school entry (pre-kindergarten or kindergarten) and in selected grades for students attending all public schools outside of the five boroughs of New York City.
  • Youth Tobacco Survey
    The Youth Tobacco Survey (YTS) collects self-reported information among middle and high school students about the prevalence of current cigarette and electronic cigarette smoking, behaviors and attitudes toward smoking, and several health-related issues including asthma. The YTS is administered in NYS every two years to students in grades 6 through 12.

Other Department of Health Data Sources Related to Chronic Disease

  • Community Health Indicator Reports and Dashboard
    New York State Community Health Indicator Reports (CHIRS) present data for more than 300 health indicators that are organized by 15 different health topics. Data tables are provided for all 62 New York State counties, 8 regions (including New York City), the State excluding New York City, and New York State. The data tables also contain links to trend graphs and maps.
  • Health Data NY
    Health Data NY is the Department of Health's open data website which makes Department data assets available to the public for innovation, economic development, and research. It includes many health data sources as well as targeted public health messaging, extensive metadata, and customized visualizations. Several key chronic disease data sources can be accessed at the Health Data NY site including the Adult Tobacco Survey (ATS), Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), Cancer Mapping data and the Youth Tobacco Survey (YTS).
  • New York State Prevention Agenda State Dashboard
    The Dashboard is an interactive visual presentation of the Prevention Agenda 2024-2029 tracking indicator data at state and county levels. It serves as a key source for monitoring progress that communities around the state have made with regard to meeting the Prevention Agenda 2024 objectives. The county dashboard homepage includes the most current data available for 70 tracking indicators. Each county in the state has its own dashboard.
  • Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS)
    PRAMS collects information that is not available from other sources and provides data on smoking during pregnancy, oral health care, vaccines during pregnancy, nutrition, domestic violence, psychosocial stress, HIV testing, sexually transmitted diseases, breastfeeding and family planning.
  • Quality Assurance Reporting Requirements (QARR)
    QARR monitors managed care plan performance in the areas of provider network, access and utilization, child and adolescent health, women's health, adult health, behavioral health, and satisfaction with care to improve the quality of care provided to New York State residents. The Department of Health collects data for four types of managed care insurance (commercial HMO, commercial Preferred Provider Organization, Medicaid managed care, and Child Health Plus) on an annual basis.
  • Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS)
    Initially established in 1979 to collect information on hospital discharges, SPARCS collects patient level detail on patient characteristics, diagnoses and treatments, services, and charges for every hospital discharge, ambulatory surgery patient, and emergency department admission in New York State.
  • Vital Statistics
    The Vital Statistics of New York State site provides information on all birth, death, marriage, and divorce records in NYS. Data tables on the Leading Causes of Death site provide annual data on leading causes of death in NYS.
  • Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS)
    The YRBSS is a national surveying effort by the CDC to monitor students' health risks and behaviors related to weight and diet, physical activity, injury and violence, tobacco use, alcohol and other drug use, and sexual behaviors. It also monitors the prevalence of obesity and asthma. It is conducted every two years for students in grades 9–12.

Health Statistics Information

Resources to help explain commonly used statistical terms.