National Mortality Followback Survey

The National Mortality Followback Survey (NMFS) has been conducted sporadically since 1961 by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) to collect information on various specific topics related to mortality in the United States, including the events and circumstances that preceded death, and relevant characteristics of the decedent. The NMFS has been conducted six times: four times in the 1960s, in 1986, and most recently, in 1993.

The main national database for the United States mortality statistics (the National Death Index) is maintained by the NCHS and is compiled from the official death certificate registries maintained by individual states. The NMFS was created to enrich the national mortality database by collecting information not available from death certificates. Each of the six surveys has been unique; each ...