The Trends in Health and Aging (THA) project uses data from NCHS and other federal agencies to provide current, policy-relevant information, including State-level data, on trends in the health and well-being of the older population in the United States,. The core of the project is the THA website (www.cdc.gov/nchs/agingact.htm ) which allows easy access to a wealth of data on topics such as mortality, health status, disability, health care utilization and expenditures presented in easy to use tables. The site includes many features to enhance the user experience, such as a statistical testing utility, Power Point presentations, Aging Trends Reports, and FAQ. The site will be maintained and further enhanced by integration with a related NCHS web site, by the addition of more socio economic information and by usability testing, and by a web based tutorial on aging and health. Outreach efforts will extend to the health policy community and will be maintained to the research and practioner communities. The overall goal of the Trends in Health and Aging project is to collect, evaluate, analyze, and disseminate information on the health and welfare of the U.S. aging population to; 1) improve awareness of the determinants of healthy aging, 2) aid in the development of effective health promotion and disease-prevention strategies, and 3) monitor health trends and assesses the impact of policy and program changes.
