CHIS Public Use FIles
California Health Interview Survey (CHIS)

Public Use Files

The California Health Interview Survey’s Public Use Files (PUFs) are comprehensive CHIS data files that enable researchers to conduct in-depth research. 

Dig deep into California health issues with our comprehensive data files.

The California Health Interview Survey’s Public Use Files (PUFs) provide researchers and other data users with comprehensive statewide CHIS data files to customize and run their own data analyses, with files available in a variety of data formats — SAS and Stata. PUFs are also available in Adult, Teen, and Child age groups. 

The PUFs include:

  • Microdata files with individual respondents in rows and variables in columns.
  • Hundreds of variables covering health status, health conditions, health-related behaviors, health care access, health insurance coverage information, and detailed demographic information including gender, age, race and ethnicity, urban/rural and other descriptors.
  • Data dictionaries that include information on how to use the CHIS sample weights and a brief description of survey method, and CHIS questionnaires that contain the specific question wording, position in the interview, and skip instructions that define the universe for each question.

Note: To minimize the risk of indirect identification and to increase data confidentiality, sub-state geographic identifiers (e.g., county, city, ZIP code) and confidential variables such as sexual behavior are excluded from the PUFs. However, access to confidential data is available by applying for a DAC project through the Data Access Center (DAC). 

Explore our many PUF options below to get started:

Users must login to view the data files.

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One-Year PUFs

One-year PUFs consist of individual records obtained from each survey year (CHIS 2001–2023), and contain comprehensive data on a large range of topics at the state level and include variables that minimize the risk of indirect identification of CHIS respondents.
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Two-Year PUFs

Two-year PUFs consist of individual records obtained from each two-year survey cycle (CHIS 2011 – 2012, 2013 – 2014, 2015 – 2016, 2017 – 2018, 2019 – 2020, and 2021 – 2022), and contain even more comprehensive data through additional variables not included in the one-year PUF, such as more detailed race and ethnicity variables.
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Long-Term Services and Supports PUFs

2019, 2020, and 2023 PUFs that contain a set of questions assessing the use and demand for long-term services and supports in California, including data on caregiving needs, physical and mental difficulties, special equipment, and paid services and supports.
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California LGBTQ+ and NHPI Health Attitudes and Behaviors Survey PUFs

2020 PUFs for two California Health Attitudes and Behaviors Surveys (CHABS) that each contain a set of questions assessing tobacco use behaviors and attitudes among the LGBTQ+ and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) populations in California.
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Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Community Needs Survey PUFs

2021 and 2022 PUFs for the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Community Needs Survey that contains a set of questions assessing experiences among the AANHPI population in California, including data on attitudes towards news sources, accessibility to quality and/or affordable goods, health services, and experiences of hate crimes, hate incidents, and acts of discrimination.