The Survey Orientation course includes three modules:

Module 1. Survey Overview
Module 2. Navigate NHANES Website
Module 3. Data Structure & Contents

These three modules provide a general overview of the Continuous NHANES survey conducted since 1999, its website and data structure. NHANES contains a vast amount of data that is organized and released in separate data files on the NHANES website. These data files are organized according to certain conventions. Therefore, a thorough understanding of how information is laid out on the NHANES website and how the data files are organized will help you be more efficient in finding the information you need for your analysis. 

Whether you are a novice or an experienced analyst, we recommend that you review this entire course before starting the tutorial, as these three modules serve as a roadmap that will help you get oriented quickly or refresh your knowledge of NHANES.    

Users who wish to pick and choose topics of interest in this course may do so by using the navigation bar to the left or by using the Tutorial A-Z Index.

The course begins with Survey Overview, where you will learn about the history and methodology of NHANES as well as some of the ways in which NHANES data have been used in the past. In the next module, Navigate the NHANES Website, you will learn where to find different documents, how to access datasets, and how to get help with NHANES data. Finally, Data Structure & Contents will show you how the data are organized.

The requirements for computer software, knowledge and skills are listed for your convenience on the Software & Technical Requirements page. The Tech Tips page can help you troubleshoot if you run into technical difficulties. Before beginning the course, please see the Jump Start Guide for more information about how to use the tutorial and its features.