Describes the plan and operation of the third National Health and Nutrition Survey. The sample for this study of the U.S. population was selected from households in 81 counties across the United States. About 40,000 persons 2 months of age and over were selected, including large samples of both young and old persons. About 12,000 of the sample persons were black Americans, 12,000 were Mexican-Americans, and the remaining 16,000 were of all other race and ethnicity groups. All selected persons were asked to complete an extensive interview and an examination in a large mobile examination center. The survey period is 1988-94, consisting of two phases of equal length and sample size. Both Phase 1 and Phase 2 were random samples of the U.S. population living in households.

This is the 37th annual report prepared for the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. The report includes a compilation of health data from state and federal health agencies and the private sector. Health, United States, 2013 features 135 tables on key health measures through 2012 from a number of sources within the federal government and in the private sector. The tables cover a range of topics, including birth rates and reproductive health, life expectancy and leading causes of death, health risk behaviors, health care utilization, and insurance coverage and health expenditures. The Health, United States series presents an annual overview of national trends in health statistics. The report contains a Chartbook that assesses the nation's health by presenting trends and current information on selected measures of morbidity, mortality, health care utilization and access, health risk factors, prevention, health insurance, and personal health care expenditures. This year's Chartbook includes a Special Feature on Prescription Drugs that contains an array of statistics. The report also contains 135 Trend Tables organized around four major subject areas: health status and determinants, health care utilization, health care resources, and health care expenditures. Keywords: Antibiotics; pain relievers; hydrocortisone; drug poisoning; acute pain; chronic pain; American Indian; Alaska Native; Hispanics; White/Caucasian; prescription drug spending; Affordable Care Act; ACA; insurance; private health insurance; private health insurance co-pays; co-pay spending; out-of-pocket spending; Medicare; Medicaid; Medicare Part D; physicians; dentists; nurses; nurse practitioners; cholesterol-lowering drugs; cardiovascular agents; high blood pressure; diabetes; heart disease; kidney disease; anti-acid reflux drugs; blood clots; depression and related disorders; Antidepresseants; Anticoagulants; Analgesics; Central nervous system stimulants; attention deficit disorder; ADD; ADHD; Black origin; Mexican origin; Influenza; Influenza vaccinations; Health care visits; community hospitals; nursing homes; Life expectancy; Motor-Vehicle related death rates; automobile deaths; teenage childbearing; teenage child-bearing; cigarette smoking; obesity; Obesity; Adult Obesity; Child Obesity; Overweight; Vaccinations; Emergency Department use; Emergency Department Visits; Dental Care; Personal Healthcare Spending; personal healthcare spending; personal health care spending; Personal Health care spending; long term treatment; long term treatment of chronic conditions; Uninsured adults; medications; medicine; medicines; prescribed medicines; prescribed drugs; prescription medicine; prescription medicines; healthcare costs; insurance costs; health insurance costs; medicine costs; prescription drug costs; doctors; mental health specialists; psychologists; psychologist; doctor; physician; nurse; dentist; internal medicine doctor; gynecologists; OB-GYN doctor;