NYC HANES 2013–14 and Reflections on Future Population Health Surveillance

Excerpt

Accurate and reliable population health data are critical to public health and enable evidence-based planning, policy-making, and program evaluation. Public health agencies rely on local data to identify and monitor the burden of disease in a population over time and to answer important health policy questions. The New York City Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NYC HANES), a local, representative heath examination survey, was conducted twice in NYC, once in 2004 and again in 2013–14 [1, 2]. Data from NYC HANES have served as a strong complement to existing population health surveillance data, especially in the context of New York City’s urban environment. In this special issue, we describe a range of findings from NYC HANES 2013–14 that collectively illustrate the unique contribution of examination surveys to population health surveillance. Yet, few public health agencies implement examination surveys, despite their important contributions, in part because such surveys can be expensive and difficult to conduct. We explore the value and challenges of surveys like NYC HANES, and we also describe emerging population health surveillance approaches that might provide complementary information to improve public health. …