(Falls Church, VA) October 16, 2026

The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) monitors the health of people across the country—the U.S. population—by collecting and analyzing data on a broad range of health topics. NHIS focuses on the health of U.S. children and adults. The activity is managed within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Initiated in 1957, it is the nation’s largest and oldest national health survey.

Reports produced as a result of this project have been informative to the public and policy makers alike. For instance, in 2015, the survey reported on the Use of Complementary Health Approaches Among Children Aged 4–17 Years in the United States: National Health Interview Survey, 2007–2012. Among the issues reported was the utilization of chiropractic by youth.

In 2016, the report Use of Complementary Health Approaches for Musculoskeletal Pain Disorders Among Adults: United States, 2012 was issued. In this report, Americans who were interview noted, that “more than 50% of U.S. adults (125 million) had a musculoskeletal pain disorder in 2012. Just over 20% of U.S. adults had arthritic conditions (22.1%) or lower back pain (20.3%). A smaller percentage of persons reported having non-arthritic joint pains or other joint conditions (17.5%) and neck pain or problems (14.3%), and (9.8%) had sciatica.”

As part of the research focus on whole person health, the Whole Person Health Index was developed as a research tool. It was used in the 2025 Survey.

The CDC has requested public input on the Survey. As a member of the NCCIH Coalition for Whole Person Health Research, the ICA has submitted comments to this request focused on the importance of the Whole Person Health Index.

ICA Submitted Comments include:

“Chiropractors frequently care for people whose health concerns affect mobility, physical activity, sleep, stress, daily function, work, family responsibilities, and overall quality of life. Consequently, our members see every day that health cannot be adequately understood solely through diagnoses, disease prevalence, procedures, medication use, or health care expenditures.

The Whole Person Health Index would provide substantial practical utility by capturing dimensions of health that matter directly to individuals. Its nine questions address general health, quality of life, social and family connections, diet, physical activity, stress management, sleep, meaning and purpose, and the ability to manage one’s health. These domains provide a more complete picture of how Americans are actually living and functioning.

Traditional health surveillance remains essential, but it often concentrates on the presence or absence of disease. That approach may not identify meaningful differences between individuals who have the same diagnosis but markedly different levels of function, resilience, participation, or well-being. Conversely, an individual may experience a decline in sleep, physical activity, stress management, social connection, or quality of life before that decline is reflected in a new diagnosis. The Whole Person Health Index can help fill this important measurement gap.”

The full response is provided below:

Interested in learning more about the Whole Person Health Index. Check out this Article.