At A Glance
Noteworthy Characteristics
- More than 2,000 automated checks as well as manual checks are performed regularly. D-U-N-S® Number is assigned to each business to facilitate tracking.
- Allows users to obtain information about specific types of business, such as supermarkets or fast food restaurants, in a small geographic area, such as city or zip code, or a larger area such as a state.
- Data can be linked using multiple data elements, such as zip code or street address.
- Provides historical data on inactive companies.
- Standard Industry Classification (SIC) codes allow the development of density measures for specific types of businesses.
- Data can be retrieved by business outlet name.
Website
Purpose
To collect data about specific businesses in the United States (U.S.).
Target Population
Businesses in the U.S.
Conducted
Began in 1969. Ongoing and updated continuously.
Sponsor
The Dun & Bradstreet Corporation, (800) 526-0651.
Special Note(s)
The survey is updated quarterly through review of directories, government registries, websites, and interviews. New businesses are added as they are identified. Some entries may be old or not updated recently, which may be a special problem for investigators studying restaurants and other businesses, which come and go quickly.
Sampling
Sample Design
Cross-sectional survey.
Sample Size
Approximately 20 million businesses in the U.S.
Key Variables
Geocode/Linkage
| Name | Methods of Assessment |
|---|---|
| Address, street, latitude and longitude, zip code, location (town/city), and state or county | N/A |
Other
| Name | Methods of Assessment |
|---|---|
| Business name | Data on all variables collected through review of public records, directories, government registries, websites, and media |
| Business type (through Standard Industry Classification Code) identifying restaurants, supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, physical activity-related outlets, and other types of businesses | Data on all variables collected through review of public records, directories, government registries, websites, and media |
Data Access and Cost
Data Availability
Data can be purchased from Dun & Bradstreet. Call (800) 526-0651 for additional information.
Cost
Prices vary depending on project type and scope.
Special Note(s)
Requests for information can be made on the Dun & Bradstreet Web site.
Geocode/Linkage
Geocode Variable(s)
Address, street, latitude and longitude, zip code, location (town/city), and state or county
Existing Linkages
Dun & Bradstreet data on commercial physical activity facilities have been linked to Census data on neighborhood characteristics using zip codes. Learn more.
Selected Publications
General
Liese AD, Colabianchi N, Lamichhane AP, Barnes TL, Hibbert JD, Porter DE, Nichols MD, Lawson AB. Validation of 3 food outlet databases: completeness and geospatial accuracy in rural and urban food environments. American Journal of Epidemiology 2010;172(11):1324-33.
Physical Activity-Related
Powell LM, Chaloupka FJ, Slater SJ, Johnston LD, O’Malley PM. The availability of local-area commercial physical activity-related facilities and physical activity among adolescents. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 2007;33(4 Suppl):S292-S300.
Weight-Related
Powell LM, Bao Y. Food prices, access to food outlets and child weight. Economics and Human Biology 2009;7(1):64-72.
Resources
None noted.
