2008 OFHS Survey


The 2008 Ohio Family Health Survey was jointly sponsored by the Ohio Departments of Job and Family Services, Insurance, Health and Mental Health, the Health Policy Institute of Ohio (HPIO), Cleveland State University, The Ohio State University and the Ohio Board of Regents. Managed by GRC and HPIO, the survey contained responses from 51,000 adults and proxy responses for over 13,000 children. For the first time, the 2008 survey included both land-line phone interviews and cell-phone interviews.

The 2008 OFHS provided the major data set for planning healthcare reform and for establishing Ohio healthcare budgets. The primary purpose of the OFHS was to provide Ohio policymakers with information about the health status, health care utilization, health insurance coverage and health care access of Ohioans at a state and county level for all Ohioans, with special emphasis on those enrolled in Medicaid and those who are uninsured. Click here to view additional background information.

Survey Data

Public use datasets for the 2008 OFHS are available for download in a number of formats. These datasets include all of the variables collected in the survey except zip code and census tract. Researchers interested in obtaining a dataset with these geographic identifiers should contact GRC to learn more about the process for acquiring the restricted access research dataset. Tutorials for analyzing the data and the codebook is also available for download.

2008 OFHS Public Use Datasets

Tutorials

2008 OFHS Analytical Codebook Files

Design and Methods

The 2008 OFHS utilizes a complex design requiring special statistical techniques and software for analysis. Survey design allows for some county-level analysis. However, the ability to obtain reliable estimates at the county level depends on the sample size of the county and the subpopulation of interest. Minority populations were over-sampled to enable valid comparisons of measured characteristics among those groups. Specific effort was made to include African Americans in Ohio’s six largest counties so accurate information could be obtained for communities and neighborhoods within each county, with improved coverage of racial and ethnic minorities in each county. Due to changes in telephone usage by some segments of the population, a cell phone sample was conducted to assure adequate representation of adults 18 to 44 years old and their families. Download the full methods report to learn more about the design and data collection process.

Research and Reports

Below is a list of briefs and reports that address key findings from the 2010 OFHS. In addition to these documents, two sets of descriptive tables are also available for download. The first set has information on the distribution of key variables for all of Ohio, the four county clusters (Metropolitan, Suburban, Rural, and Appalachian), and each of Ohio’s 88 counties. Data on the adult variables are available for three populations: non-senior adults (ages 18-64), seniors (ages 65 and older), and all adults (ages 18 and older). Data on the child variables are provided for the population of all children (ages 0-17). The second set of tables presents additional measures for certain state and regional subpopulations.

Title and Author For Download

Obesity in Children and Families Across Ohio

Leona Cuttler, MD
Mendel Singer, PhD
Lisa Simpson, MB, MPH
Andrew Gallan, PhD
Ann Nevar, MPA
JB Silvers, PhD
Report Brief PowerPoint

Potentially Eligible Medicaid Population without Medicaid Coverage

Gerry Fairbrother, PhD
Joseph Schuchter, MPH
Report Brief PowerPoint

Informal Caregiver Assistance among Adults with Cardiovascular Disease in Ohio

Deborah A. Levine, MD, MPH
Sudeep Karve, PhD
Eric Seiber, PhD
Al Dembe, ScD
Andrew Slivka, MD
Bo Lu, PhD
Report Brief PowerPoint

Racial and Ethnic Inequality in Health Care Access and Quality in Ohio

Jennifer Malat, PhD
Jeffrey Timberlake, PhD
Report Brief PowerPoint

Profile of Children with Special Health Care Needs in Ohio

Anthony Goudie, PhD
Gerry Fairbrother, PhD
Lisa Simpson, MB, BCh, MPH, FAAP
Keith Mandel, MD
Report Brief PowerPoint

Mental Health Status, Access to Care, and Service Utilization in Ohio: Trends Related to Insurance, Income, Demographic Characteristics and Physical Health

Monica Mitchell, PhD
Sarah Theodore, BS
Miranda Holloway, BS
Lori Crosby, PsyD
Alisha Johnson, MPA
Report Brief PowerPoint

Impact of Ohio Medicaid

Eric Seiber, PhD
Report Brief PowerPoint

Ohio Chartbook, 2008: Child Health and Health Care across Ohio

Kate Jones, MA
Gerry Fairbrother, PhD
Leona Cuttler, MD
Lisa Simpson, MB, BCh, MPH, FAAP
Report Brief PowerPoint

Access to and Utilization of Health Services by Rural-Dwelling Ohio Children: Are There Unique Challenges for Those in the Appalachia Region?

Laureen H. Smith, PhD, RN
Pamela Salsberry, PhD, RN
Jodi Nearns, PhD, RN
Christopher Holloman, PhD
Report Brief PowerPoint

Intimate Partner Violence Among Medicaid and Uninsured Populations in Ohio: Associations with Health Outcomes and Care Utilization

Kenneth J. Steinman, PhD, MPH
Amy E. Bonomi, PhD, MPH
Report Brief PowerPoint

Using Small-Area Estimation Techniques for County-level Estimates of Select Indicators from the Ohio Family Health Survey

Anirudh V.S. Ruhil
Holly Raffle
Sara Boyd
Nicole R. Yandell
Report Brief PowerPoint

County Maps

Below are maps that have been created from the county level data in the 2008 OFHS Regional Demographic File.

Children Age 0-17 Adults Age 18-64 Seniors
Uninsured Uninsured  
No Dental Coverage No Dental Coverage No Dental Coverage
No Vision Coverage No Vision Coverage No Vision Coverage
No Prescription Coverage No Prescription Coverage No Prescription Coverage
Asthma   Poor-to-Fair Health Status
Obesity   Obesity
Emergency Department Visits   Diabetes
Major Medical Costs   Heart Attack
    Coronary Heart Disease