2015 Public-Use Linked Mortality Files

Public-use Linked Mortality Files (LMF) are available for 1986-2014 NHIS.  The files include a limited set of mortality variables for adult participants only. The public-use versions of the NCHS Linked Mortality Files were subjected to data perturbation techniques to reduce the risk of participant re-identification. For select records, synthetic data were substituted for the date of death and/or underlying cause of death. Information regarding vital status was not perturbed.

Public-use 2015 Linked Mortality Files for NHANES III and 1999-2014 NHANES are forthcoming.

 Data Files and Data Dictionaries

• Introduction & Read-Me: Public-Use 2015 LMF [PDF – 89 KB]
• Public-Use Data Dictionary: Public-Use 2015 LMF Data Dictionary [PDF – 390 KB]
• Public-Use Linked Mortality Files: FTP Site
• Software Programs:
  • Sample SAS program [SAS – 12 KB]
  • Sample Stata program [DO – 6 KB]
  • Sample R program

Comparability with Restricted-Use Files

An updated comparison report is forthcoming.

For more information about accessing the restricted-use linked mortality files, please consult the Restricted-Use Linked Mortality Data page.