Linked National Health Survey and Cause of Death Statistics Reveal: "30% Die from Cancer"

KDCA to Provide Linked Data
to Health and Medical Researchers Upon Request

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) announced on July 21 that it will release linked data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) and the Cause of Death Statistics. The newly released data links the raw data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey with the Cause of Death Statistics from Statistics Korea, updated to reflect the 2023 Cause of Death Statistics.

According to the KDCA, the inclusion of Cause of Death Statistics in the raw data allows for analyses of how health behaviors or disease status affect mortality. The agency explained that this data can be used for a variety of studies, including research on health risk factors and deaths caused by chronic diseases.

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey is conducted annually with approximately 10,000 participants, collecting information on health checkups and nutritional status. The linked data covers 71,657 individuals aged 19 and older who participated in the survey, consented to linkage with the Cause of Death Statistics from Statistics Korea, and had valid resident registration numbers. As a result of this linkage, data for a total of 69,855 individuals (97.5%) were successfully matched, among whom 6,567 were deceased.

According to the linked statistics, between 2007 and 2023, the leading cause of death was neoplasms (cancer), accounting for 1,964 deaths (29.9%). This was followed by deaths from circulatory system diseases at 1,385 (21.1%), and deaths from respiratory system diseases at 819 (12.5%).

The linked data can be accessed by submitting an application on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey website. After review by the KDCA's Division of Health and Nutrition Survey Analysis and the Microdata Integrated Service (MDIS) at Statistics Korea, the data will be provided to researchers.

Im Seungkwan, Commissioner of the KDCA, stated, "We hope that the linked data will be used in various public health research fields, such as studies on the relationship between health risk factors and mortality, and will contribute to the prevention and management of chronic diseases."