Information on health status, risk factors, health insurance, and health-care utilization is used to plan, conduct, and evaluate public health programs, to inform policies, regulations, and legislation, and to conduct research to better understand the determinants and consequences of health and health care. Health is a social as well as a biologic concept, and health surveys address all aspects of health and health care. Major topics covered include the conceptualization and measurement of health status and the determinants of health, summary measures of health, health-care utilization, and health behaviors. Survey design issues discussed include sampling, data linkage, data quality, and the protection of privacy and confidentiality.