Which of the following is included as a data category in NCDB?

• A. Insurance coverage
• B. Dietary habits
• C. Environmental exposure
• D. Patient characteristics

Answer: (D)

The data are organized into broad categories, and patient characteristics form one of the core categories. This area collects basic demographic and personal information about the patient—age, sex, race/ethnicity, and related factors—that the NCDB uses to describe the patient population and to adjust comparisons of outcomes and treatments.

Dietary habits and environmental exposure are not standard data categories in the NCDB; they are not routinely collected as separate elements. Insurance coverage is typically captured as part of payer information within the patient/administrative data rather than as its own distinct category.

So, the best choice reflects that the NCDB explicitly organizes data by patient characteristics, making it the proper data category.