[citation needed] The NHANES interview includes demographic, socioeconomic, dietary, and health-related questions.
[citation needed] The National Health Survey Act was passed in 1956.
This allowed legislative authorization to provide current statistical data on the amount, distribution, and effects on illness and disability in the United States.
Information is used to assess nutritional status and its association with health promotion and disease prevention.
NHANES findings are also the basis for national standards for such measurements as height, weight, and blood pressure.