NCCIH Research Blog

As health care providers and researchers, we often struggle to capture the full picture of an individual’s overall health. That’s why I’m excited to introduce the Whole Person Health Index (WPHI)—a new survey tool that integrates individual-level biological and behavioral factors for use in research, public health, and patient care. 

The WPHI is a simple self-report survey tool that provides a comprehensive snapshot of a person's health. What makes this tool particularly powerful is its versatility. Health care providers and researchers can track changes over time, while patients gain valuable insights into their own health journey. The WPHI can serve as an anchor or reference point for connecting diverse health data, all while keeping the individual’s personal health perspective at its core.

The WPHI is based on nine questions developed and validated through a collaboration between the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) and the National Center for Health Statistics/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2025, the nine questions will be deployed in the National Health Interview Survey:

Rate on a scale of 1–5 (Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor): 

1. Would you say your health in general is excellent, very good, good, fair, or poor?
2. How would you rate your quality of life, focusing on what matters most to you?
3. How would you rate your social and family connections?
4. In general, how healthy is your overall diet?
5. How would you rate your physical activity, compared with people in your age group?
6. How would you rate your ability to manage stress?
7. How would you rate your sleep?
8. How would you rate your ability to find meaning and purpose in your daily life?
9. How would you rate your ability to manage your health, focusing on aspects of your health that matter most to you?

The WPHI can be calculated by summing the nine response scores, such that, over time, for example, an individual’s WPHI going from 45 to 25 would indicate an improvement in overall self-assessed health.   

The nine questions are free to use in patient care and research studies, including observational studies, randomized clinical trials, and mechanistic translational studies. The WPHI may be especially valuable in studies using multicomponent, nonpharmacologic, and lifestyle interventions that may impact multiple biological systems and biopsychosocial domains. 

We hope that you use and share the WPHI with research colleagues.