National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) Series

collection: series

Investigator(s): National Center for Health Statistics

Studies

9

Variables

40,539

Publications

676

About this Collection

The National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), sponsored by the National Center for Health Statistics, United States Department of Health and Human Services, is a multipurpose survey based on personal interviews with a national sample of women (all cycles) and men (beginning with Cycle VI) 15-44 years of age in the civilian noninstitutionalized population of the United States. The Survey's main function is to collect data on factors affecting pregnancy and women's health in the United States. NSFG surveys were conducted in 1973 (Cycle I), 1976 (Cycle II), 1982 (Cycle III), 1988 and 1990 (Cycle IV), and 1995 (Cycle V) and 2002 (Cycle VI). The NSFG supplements and complements the data from the National Vital Statistics System on births, marriage and divorce, fetal death, and infant mortality. It is also a significant part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's public health surveillance for women, infants, and children -- particularly in regard to contraception, infertility, childbearing, and teenage pregnancy. Topics covered in the series include the number of children women have had and the number they expect to have in the future, intended and unintended births, first sexual intercourse and partners, marriage, cohabitation, impaired fecundity, sterilization operations, breastfeeding, maternity leave, child care, adoption, stepchildren, foster children, health insurance coverage, family planning, and health conditions and behavior, including smoking by women 15-44 years of age, HIV testing, pelvic inflammatory disease, and sex education. Beginning with Cycle VI corresponding issues for men were investigated.

Studies

9 results

National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), United States, 2011-2019

This catalog record includes detailed variable-level descriptions, enabling data discovery and comparison. The data are not archived at ICPSR. Users should consult the data owners (via the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) website) directly for details on obtaining the data.

The National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) gathers information on pregnancy and births, marriage and cohabitation, infertility, use of contraception, family life, and general and reproductive health. The survey sample is designed to produce national data, not estimates for individual states. Beginning in 1973, NSFG was designed to be nationally representative of ever-married women 15-44 years of age in the civilian, non-institutionalized population of the United States (household population). Later sample changes to NSFG include:

  • Interviewing women aged 15-44 regardless of marital experience (1982)
  • Interviewing an independent sample of men aged 15-44 (2002)
  • Expanding the age range for women and men to 15-49 (2015)
    • Grandparent-Parent-Adult Child triplets: ~1,400

For the 2011-2019 continuous interviewing period, four sets of 2-year public-use data files were released:

  • 2011-2013 NSFG: 10,416 respondents aged 15-44 (5,601 women and 4,815 men)
  • 2013-2015 NSFG: 10,205 respondents aged 15-44 (5,699 women and 4,506 men)
  • 2015-2017 NSFG: 10,094 respondents aged 15-49 (5,554 women and 4,540 men)
  • 2017-2019 NSFG: 11,347 respondents aged 15-49 (6,141 women and 5,206 men)

Public-use data files and related documentation, including questionnaires, codebooks, and design and operations reports, can be found for each release on the NSFG Questionnaires, Datasets, and Related Documentation page.

National Survey of Family Growth, Cycle III, 1982

This data collection provides information on fertility, family formation, contraception, and related issues for 7,969 women aged 15-44 irrespective of marital status in the United States in 1982. The study consists of data covering a wide range of background characteristics, a number of measures of fertility and contraception, measures of fecundity and birth expectations, use of family planning services, and detailed pregnancy histories. Demographic items specify age, marital history, education, income, occupation, race, ethnicity, residence, and religion.

National Survey of Family Growth, Cycle IV, 1988

The National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) Cycle IV interviews covered respondents' pregnancy histories, past and current use of contraception, ability to bear children, use of medical services for family planning, infertility, and prenatal care, marital histories, and associated cohabiting unions. Data on occupation and labor force participation and on a wide range of social, economic, and demographic characteristics are also presented. Cycle IV added questions about AIDS and cohabitation and asked detailed questions on adoption and sexually transmitted diseases.
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