Since 1957, the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) has been a primary source of information on the health of the population of the United States.  The NHIS is a cross-sectional household interview survey that is fielded continuously throughout the year. For the 1983 survey, the sample plan included approximately 42,000 eligible households yielding a probability sample of about 111,000 persons.

A core questionnaire collected data on topics such as injuries, diseases, conditions, disability, limitation of activity, doctor visits, hospitalization, and demographic information such as housing, family composition, income, etc. The 1983 NHIS included sections on doctor service, dental care, health insurance, and a health practices section with questions on alcohol and tobacco use.