Dietary Data Survey Orientation

The Survey Orientation course includes five modules:

Module 1. Dietary Data Overview

Module 2. Navigate NHANES Website

Module 3. Dietary Data Structure & Contents

Module 4. Resources for Dietary Data Analysis

Module 5. Overview of NHANES Survey Design and Weighting

These five modules provide a general overview of the dietary data collected by the NHANES, the NHANES website, the structure and contents of NHANES dietary data, additional databases and tools that can be used to conduct dietary analyses, and the NHANES survey design and weighting principles.  A vast amount of dietary data are organized and released in separate data files on the NHANES and USDA websites. These data files are organized according to certain conventions. Moreover, NHANES uses a complex sampling design with sample weights to ensure that the data are nationally representative. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the material covered in these modules will help you be more efficient in finding the information you need for your analysis. 

Whether you are a novice or an experienced analyst, it isrecommend that you review this entire course (Modules 1-5) before proceeding with the rest of the tutorial, as these five modules serve as a roadmap that will help you get oriented quickly or refresh your knowledge of NHANES in general and its dietary data in particular.

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

The course begins with a Dietary Data Overview, where you will learn about the history and methodology of dietary data in NHANES as well as some of the ways in which these data are used. 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. The third module, Data Structure & Contents, will show you how the dietary data are organized. Resources for Dietary Data Analysis describes additional sources of food and nutrient data and provides web addresses for accessing these resources on the USDA website. These data are often used in dietary analyses. Finally, Overview of NHANES Survey Design and Weighting describes the complex sampling design of NHANES and explains why and how NHANES sample weights are constructed.

Before you get started:

• Check out the Dietary Data Tutorial Roadmap to orient yourself to the tutorial’s content.

• Read the Introduction to find answers to frequently asked questions about NHANES dietary data and this tutorial.

• Browse through the Logistics section to learn about the web layouts and templates used in the tutorial and find out the basic knowledge and skills you’ll need to use the tutorial.

• Go to Technical & Software Requirements for information about what’s required to view the tutorials correctly and run the sample programs properly.  This section also is the place to go if you need help with technical problems.