Sampler of findings from the 1986 national mortality followback survey on risk factors, disability, and health care.

The National Center for Health Statistics conducted a mortality followback survey of a national probability sample drawn from all deaths of U.S. adults in 1986 and an oversampling of deaths of persons with selected characteristics. Responses were received from the next of kin or other close relatives of 16,598 adult decedents (88.6 percent). Data were collected through a mail questionnaire, followed by telephone or personal interviews with nonrespondents. Data were also collected from the hospitals and other health care facilities used by the decedent in the last year of life. Illustrative results are presented on the four major subject areas studied: risk factors for premature death, disability and care in the last year of life, socioeconomic differentials, and the reliability of selected items reported on the death certificate. Researchers are encouraged to explore the data tape to pursue indepth epidemiologic studies.