The National Center for Health Statistics conducts a broad program of record-based systems and population surveys providing information on the health and nutritional status of the US population. The record-based systems include vital statistics and health-care surveys. Population surveys include the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), the National Health Interview Survey, the National Survey of Family Growth, and epidemiologic follow-back surveys. Although all of these data systems provide nutrition-related information, the NHANES collects the most directly relevant nutritional status data through interview and examination of a national probability sample of children and adults. The third NHANES is scheduled to begin in September 1988 and is designed to provide cross-sectional estimates of dietary intake and nutritional status for nutrition-monitoring purposes and to serve as the baseline for longitudinal studies of diet and health.