[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 42 (Tuesday, March 4, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9771-9773]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-5235]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[INFO-97-05]


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. The Fourth National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 
(NHANES IV)--New--The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 
(NHANES) has been conducted periodically since 1970 by the National 
Center for Health Statistics, CDC.

[[Page 9772]]

NHANES IV is planned for 1998-2004 to include 40,000 sample persons. 
They will receive an interview and a physical examination. A pretest of 
400 people and a dress rehearsal of 555 are needed to test the sampling 
process, data collection procedures, computer-assisted personal 
interviews (including translations into Spanish), examination 
protocols, automated computer systems and quality control procedures. 
Participation in the pretest and the full survey will be completely 
voluntary and confidential.
    NHANES programs produce descriptive statistics which measure the 
health and nutrition status of the general population. Through the use 
of questionnaires, physical examinations, and laboratory tests, NHANES 
studies the relationship between diet, nutrition and health in a 
representative sample of the United States. NHANES monitors the 
prevalence of chronic conditions and risk factors related to health 
such as coronary heart disease, arthritis, osteoporosis, pulmonary and 
infectious diseases, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, 
obesity, smoking, drug and alcohol use, environmental exposures, and 
diet. NHANES data are used to establish the norms for the general 
population against which health care providers can compare such patient 
characteristics as height, weight, and nutrient levels in the blood. 
Data from future NHANES can be compared to those from previous NHANES 
to monitor changes in the health of the U.S. population. NHANES IV will 
also establish a national probability sample of genetic material for 
future genetic testing for susceptibility to disease.
    Users of NHANES data include Congress; the World Health 
Organization; Federal agencies such as NIH, EPA, and USDA; private 
groups such as the American Heart Association; schools of public 
health; private businesses; individual practitioners; and 
administrators. NHANES data are used to establish, monitor, and 
evaluate recommended dietary allowances, food fortification policies, 
programs to limit environmental exposures, immunization guidelines and 
health education and disease prevention programs. The burden hour 
estimate in this notice is based on the request for OMB approval for 
the pretest, dress rehearsal and the first 2.25 years of the full 
survey. The total cost to respondents for the period covered by this 
notice and the related request for OMB approval (from 1/98-12/00) is 
estimated at $952,995.

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                                                  Number of                                                                                             
                                                 respondents   Number of                                                                        Total   
                  Respondents                    between  1/   responses/                   Avg. burden/response (in hrs.)                    burden (in
                                                   98-12/00    respondent                                                                       hrs.)   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Screening interview.........................       34,188            1  .167............................................................        5,709
2. Family questionnaire (subset of #1).........        5,830            1  .267............................................................        1,557
3. Household interview (subset of #1)..........       11,660            1  .667............................................................        7,777
4. Exam (primary) (subset of #3)...............        8,816            1  5.00 (including travel time)....................................       44,080
5. Replicate exam (10% of #4 above)............          882            1  5.00 (including travel time)....................................        4,410
                                                --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total......................................  ...........  ...........  ................................................................       65,533
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    2. 1998 National Health Interview Survey, Basic Module (0920-
0214)--Revision--The annual National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) is 
a basic source of general statistics on the health of the U.S. 
population. Due to the integration of health surveys in the Department 
of Health and Human Services, the NHIS also has become the sampling 
frame and first stage of data collection for other major surveys, 
including the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, the National Survey of 
Family Growth, and the National Health and Nutrition Examination 
Survey. By linking to the NHIS, the analysis potential of these surveys 
increases. The NHIS has long been used by government, university, and 
private researchers to evaluate both general health and specific 
issues, such as cancer, AIDS, and childhood immunizations. Journalists 
use its data to inform the general public. It will continue to be a 
leading source of data for the Congressionally-mandated ``Health US'' 
and related publications, as well as the single most important source 
of statistics to track progress toward the National Health Promotion 
and Disease Prevention Objectives, ``Healthy People 2000.''
    Because of survey integration and changes in the health and health 
care of the U.S. population, demands on the NHIS have changed and 
increased, leading to a major redesign of the annual core 
questionnaire, or Basic Module, and a redesign of the data collection 
system from paper questionnaires to computer assisted personal 
interviews (CAPI). Those redesigned elements were partially implemented 
in 1996 and fully implemented in 1997. This clearance is for the second 
full year of data collection using the Basic Module on CAPI, and for 
implementation of the first ``Topical Module'' (or supplement), which 
is on Health People 2000 Objectives. Ad hoc Topical Modules on various 
health issues are provided for in the redesigned NHIS. This data 
collection, planned for January-December 1998, will result in 
publication of new national estimates of health statistics, release of 
public use micro data files, and a sampling frame for other integrated 
surveys. In particular, the topical module will provide end-point 
estimates for many of the Healthy People 2000 Objectives.
    The Basic Module of the new data system is expected to be in the 
field at least until 2006. The total cost to respondents is estimated 
at $714,000 for the whole survey.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                             No. of    Avg. burden/     Total   
                        Respondents                             No. of     responses/  response (in   burden (in
                                                             respondents   respondent      hrs.)        hrs.)   
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Family.....................................................       42,000            1          0.5        21,000
Sample adult...............................................       42,000            1          0.75       31,500
Sample child...............................................       18,000            1          0.25        4,500
                                                            ----------------------------------------------------
    Total..................................................  ...........  ...........  ............       57,000
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[[Page 9773]]

    3. National Childhood Blood Lead Surveillance System--(0920-0337)--
Reinstatement--Lead poisoning is a common and societally devastating 
environmental disease of young children in the United States. In 
response to the call for a national surveillance program of lead levels 
made in the HHS publication, Strategic Plan for the Elimination of 
Childhood Lead Poisoning (February 1991), CDC established the National 
Childhood Blood Lead Surveillance System. In FY92, CDC awarded funds to 
eight states to assist them in developing a complete childhood lead 
surveillance activity. In FY96, CDC provided funding for childhood 
blood lead surveillance activity in 31 states and the District of 
Columbia. Sixteen of these states submitted 1995 (calendar year) data 
to the national database. Information from this national surveillance 
system may be used by Federal and state agencies to (1) more accurately 
estimate the number of children with elevated lead levels; (2) monitor 
short-term trends; (3) identify clusters of cases; (4) determine 
geographic distribution of cases; (5) examine risk factors among 
children with elevated lead levels; (6) identify risk factors for 
elevated lead levels among specific population groups; (7) target 
intervention programs to groups at risk for elevated lead levels; and 
(8) track national progress in eliminating childhood lead poisoning. 
The total cost to respondents is $8,208.

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                                                                              No. of    Avg. burden/    Total   
                         Respondents                             No. of     responses/    response    burden (in
                                                              respondents   respondent   (in hrs.)      hrs.)   
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
State Health Departments:                                                                                       
    (a) Annual Report.......................................           20            1           10          200
    (b) Quarterly Report....................................           32            4            2          256
      Total.................................................  ...........  ...........  ...........          456
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    Dated: February 26, 1997.
Wilma G. Johnson,
Acting Associate Director for Policy Planning And Evaluation, Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 97-5235 Filed 3-3-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P