California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) 2024 Making an Impact

“It is so gratifying to see how many organizations and people use the California Health Interview Survey. It’s a powerful reminder about how putting information into the hands of the public exemplifies what we set out to do in creating the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.” 

— Ninez A. Ponce, PhD, MPP, UCLA CHPR Director and CHIS Principal Investigator

The 2024 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) Making an Impact report shows our latest research and that of people who use our data — our funders, researchers, health departments, government agencies, journalists, nonprofit organizations, and community groups — who share a goal to make the people of California healthier and stronger.

The report includes:

Publications: From the lingering effects of adversity in childhood to the psychological stress of gun violence to the economic challenges older adults face, CHIS policy briefs, fact sheets, and reports touched on a wide variety of the health care needs of California’s diverse populations.

Annual CHIS Data Release: 50+ new questions made our CHIS data release this year even more timely: Housing discrimination, gambling’s effect on mental health, unintended pregnancy, child gender identity, and teen sexual identity were some of the noteworthy topics.

CHIS Journal Articles and Policy Reports: The use of CHIS data in academic and policy circles has not only expanded our understanding of health disparities and trends but has also played a pivotal role in shaping evidence-based policies that address the unique health care needs of communities across the state.

CHIS in Legislation: CHIS data were used in part of the analysis or background for 30 bills, including AB 2467 (would require coverage for treatment of menopause symptoms) and SB 839 (would require comprehensive coverage for obesity treatments).

Presentations and Events: UCLA CHPR staff used CHIS data in dozens of presentations and events across the country.

Awards: For its two decades of work advancing data equity, the California Health Interview Survey was awarded the Inclusive Voices Award by the American Association for Public Opinion Research in 2024. For her commitment to public health data collection, Ninez Ponce accepted the 2024 Elizabeth Fries Health Education Award from the CDC Foundation and the James F. and Sarah T. Fries Foundation.

Notable numbers

102,000+ queries were made through our free online tools, AskCHIS™ and AskCHIS™ Neighborhood Edition (NE) in 2024.

450+ media stories featured or cited CHIS data in 2024.

More than 100 publications featured or cited CHIS data in 2024 — from peer-reviewed journal articles to policy briefs to government reports to book chapters.

536 total variables and topics and 19 million different estimates that can be explored in AskCHIS™.

Settle in with CHIS Making an Impact 2024 and see the myriad ways our data were used by researchers, government bodies, health advocates, journalists, and others to spotlight health issues and disparities in California and beyond.