[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 155 (Friday, August 9, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41633-41635]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-20322]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[INFO-96-21]


Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and 
Recommendations

    In compliance with the requirement of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 for opportunity for public comment on 
proposed data collection projects, the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC) will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects. 
To request more information on the proposed projects or to obtain a 
copy of the data collection plans and instruments, call the CDC Reports 
Clearance Officer on (404) 639-7090.
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways 
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques for other 
forms of information technology. Send comments to Wilma Johnson, CDC 
Reports Clearance Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D24, Atlanta, GA 
30333. Written comments should be received within 60 days of this 
notice.

Proposed Projects

    1. Studies of Immunotoxicity in Occupational Groups--(0920-0333)--
Extension--A number of chemicals to which U.S. workers are potentially 
exposed, including metals such as lead and beryllium and solvents such 
as carbon tetrachloride, have been found to be immunotoxic in 
experimental animals. There is little data on immunosuppression, 
hypersensitivity or autoimmune disease in workers exposed to chemicals 
that are immunotoxic in experimental animals. NIOSH has undertaken a 
coordinated series of studies to focus on immune-system effects related 
to specific chemical exposures in the workplace. In the previous three 
years, NIOSH conducted studies of lead and egg protein exposed workers.
    In this extension of the program, it is anticipated that up to five 
additional research studies will be conducted

[[Page 41634]]

under this program. Examples of chemicals for which studies are being 
considered are latex, silica and solvents. In most of these studies, 
the immune function of a group of workers exposed to the chemical of 
interest, and not exposed to any other known or potential immunotoxins, 
will be compared to the immune function in a group of individuals with 
no occupational exposure to known or suspected immunotoxins. In some 
studies, the immune function in a group of individuals will be compared 
before and after they have exposure to the potential immunotoxin. The 
primary information collected will be data on the level of exposure to 
the potential immunotoxin (as measured in the air in the breathing zone 
of the respondent, and/or in the respondent's blood or urine) and data 
on specific markers of the status of the immune system from blood or 
saliva samples provided by the subjects. The questionnaire data will be 
directed at demographic, lifestyle, and medical factors (other than the 
exposure or condition of interest) which may influence the function of 
the immune system. In selected studies, the questionnaire will be used 
to assess the presence of respiratory symptoms, dermatologic conditions 
and/or reproductive effects, if the literature indicates a potential 
relationship to these health problems. Study populations will be 
identified through telephone contact and follow-up site visits (if 
needed) with workplace facilities that use the chemical of interest. 
The total cost to respondents is estimated at $7,500.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                          Average               
                                                               Number of    Number of     burden/       Total   
                         Respondents                          respondents   responses/    response    burden (in
                                                                            respondent   (in hours)     hours)  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Workers.....................................................          300            1            1          300
Companies...................................................           10            1            1           10
                                                             ---------------------------------------------------
      Total.................................................  ...........  ...........  ...........          310
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    2. Feasibility Study of a State and Local Area Integrated Telephone 
Survey--New--This is a request to conduct a feasibility study in three 
States of an integrated survey to collect broad State-based health and 
health-related data using two existing and ongoing data collection 
systems, the National Immunization Survey (NIS) and the National Health 
Interview Survey (NHIS) (0920-0214). The purpose of this project is to 
demonstrate the potential for using random-digit-dialing (RDD) methods 
to sample households for Computer Assisted Telephone Interviews (CATI) 
to produce quick turnaround State-level estimates on issues such as 
health status, access to care, health insurance coverage, and 
utilization of services for monitoring and tracking changes in the 
health care system. As health care markets respond to new incentives 
and States gain increasing responsibility for administering health and 
welfare programs, State level data are being recognized as increasingly 
important to the public health and health policy community. While 
considerable population-based data are available at the national level, 
there is a variable amount at the State level.
    The proposed strategy of building on two established systems 
provides several advantages. It is less costly than establishing a new 
system; the proposed questions have been thoroughly tested; and 
implementation can occur rapidly. In the NIS, interviews are conducted 
on a random sample of telephone households to produce vaccination 
coverage estimates for children 19 to 35 months of age for all 50 
states, the District of Columbia, and 27 urban areas. The NIS CATI 
system offers a mechanism for rapid data collection and for expansion 
to establish a more broad based system to monitor and track changes in 
health status, the health care system, and welfare reform at the State 
level. In addition, since the design for the NIS requires screening 20 
households to identify a single household with an age eligible child, a 
potential cost effective opportunity exists to make use of the large 
probability sample of telephone numbers for other emerging health care 
issues. The NHIS is a continuous general purpose national health survey 
in which face-to-face interviews are conducted to measure health 
characteristics of the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population. 
Use of an abbreviated set of questions from the NHIS for the proposed 
integrated telephone survey will allow for standardization of the 
questionnaire across States and will allow comparisons with national 
data. In addition, the quality of the estimates developed from the 
telephone survey can be improved with adjustments for nontelephone 
households using information from the NHIS on telephone and 
nontelephone households.
    The long term strategy is to build an integrated and coordinated 
data collection mechanism that can be both standardized for State and 
national comparisons and customized for State-specific needs. The total 
cost to respondents is estimated at $27,000.

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                                                                                          Average               
                                                               Number of    Number of     burden/       Total   
                         Respondents                          respondents   responses/    response    burden (in
                                                                            respondent   (in hours)     hours)  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Noninstitutionalized household population in 3 States.......        4,500            1         0.30        1,350
                                                             ---------------------------------------------------
      Total.................................................  ...........  ...........  ...........        1,350
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[[Page 41635]]



    Dated: August 5, 1996.
Wilma G. Johnson,
Acting Associate Director for Policy Planning and Evaluation, Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 96-20322 Filed 8-8-96; 8:45 am]
[BILLING CODE 4163-18-P]