Research

The following studies provide the most up-to-date and comprehensive information on local health departments in the United States. Refer to www.nacchoprofilestudy.org for more information.

The National Profile of Local Health Departments (commonly referred to as “the Profile study”) represents the largest, most reliable source of data on local health departments and collects information on local health department infrastructure, workforce, finance, governance, activities, and services.

The Forces of Change surveys assess the impact of a variety of trends affecting change in local health departments, including health reform, economic factors, and accreditation. The Job Loss and Program Cuts surveys (or Economic Surveillance Surveys) collected data from 2008 through 2013 on the impact of the Great Recession on local health departments.