[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 231 (Wednesday, December 2, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66546-66548]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-32056]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[INFO-99-04]


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 Seleda Perryman, CDC 
Assistant Reports Clearance Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D24, 
Atlanta, GA 30333. Written comments should be received within 60 days 
of this notice.
    The National Nursing Home Survey (NNHS)--(0920-0353)--Revision--The 
National Center for Health Statistics--Section 306 of the Public Health 
Service Act states that the National Center for Health Statistics 
``shall collect statistics on health resources * * * [and] utilization 
of health care, including utilization of * * * services of hospitals, 
extended care facilities, home health agencies, and other 
institutions.'' The data system responsible for collecting this data is 
the National Health Care Survey (NHCS). The National Nursing Home 
Survey (NNHS) is part of the Long-term Care Component of the NHCS. The 
NNHS was conducted in 1973-74, 1977, 1985, 1995, and 1997. NNHS data 
describe this major segment of the long-term care system and are used 
extensively for health care research, health planning and public 
policy. The survey provides detailed information on utilization

[[Page 66547]]

pattern that is needed in order to make accurate assessments of the 
effects of health care reform on the elderly. The NNHS also provides 
detailed information to assess the need for and costs associated with 
such care. The use of long-term care services will become an 
increasingly important issue as the population continues to age. Data 
from earlier NNHS collections have been used by the National 
Immunization Program at CDC, Office of the U.S. Attorney General, the 
Bureau of Health Professionals, the National Institute of Dental and 
Craniofacial Research at NIH, the Agency for Health Care Policy and 
Research, the American Health Care Association, Johnson and Johnson 
Pharmaceutical, the Rand Corporation and by several newspapers and 
journals. NNHS data cover: baseline data on the characteristics of 
nursing homes in relation to their residents and staff, Medicare and 
Medicaid certification, costs to residents, sources of payment, 
residents' functional status and diagnoses. Data collection is planned 
for the period July-November, 1999. Survey design is in process now. 
Sample selection and preparation of layout forms will precede the data 
collection by several months. The total costs to respondents is 
estimated at $60,000.

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                                                                      No. of      Average burden/
                   Respondents                        No. of        responses/     response (in    Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent         hrs.)         (in hrs.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Facility Questionnaire..........................           1,500               1           0.333             500
Current Resident Sampling List..................           1,500               1           0.333             500
Current Resident Questionnaire..................           1,500               6           0.17            1,530
Discharged Resident Sampling List...............           1,500               1           0.333             500
Discharged Resident Questionnaire...............           1,500               6           0.17            1,530
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................  ..............  ..............  ..............           4,560
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2. The Development and Implementation of a Theory-Based Health 
Communications Intervention to Decrease Silica Dust Exposure Among 
Masonry Workers--New

    The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health--
Construction is the most frequently recorded industry on death 
certificates with mention of silicosis. Overexposure to crystalline 
silica is well documented in the construction industry, especially in 
brick laying and masonry. According to 1993 BLS data, there are 136,139 
(at 24,362 establishments) masonry and brick laying workers in the U.S. 
and according to a recent study, approximately 17,400 masonry and 
plastering workers are exposed to at least five times the NIOSH 
recommended exposure limit (REL for crystalline silica) and of these 
workers, an estimated 80 percent of them are exposed to at least 10 
times the NIOSH REL.
    To effectively prevent silicosis, not only must control measures be 
improved, but workers must be persuaded to protect themselves and 
employers must be motivated to provide workers with proper engineering 
controls and training. Previous research has too often focused on the 
behaviors and attitudes of workers and not on employers. Since 
employers have a tremendous influence on the health of workers and 
since their motivations may differ from workers', it is important to 
focus on them as well. Well-designed and theory-driven communication 
interventions have the capacity to promote protective health behaviors. 
To develop messages that will have the greatest success at motivating 
workers to protect themselves and employers to protect their workers 
from silicosis, information on workers' and employers' beliefs, 
attitudes, and behaviors regarding silicosis must be determined. A 
recently completed pilot-study indicated a need to motivate employers 
to provide appropriate engineering controls and respiratory protection 
and a need to persuade workers to protect themselves.
    The goal of this project is to develop a health communication 
intervention program targeting both masonry contractors and workers 
that will increase the use of engineering controls (specifically, wet-
sawing) and respiratory protection. The aforementioned pilot study will 
serve as a foundation upon which the intervention will be developed. 
The effectiveness of the intervention will be evaluated using a pre-
post test questionnaire.
    The study results will provide a basis for intervention programs 
that masonry contractors can use to educate their workers regarding 
risk of exposure to silica dust on masonry work sites. The methodology 
could be applied to other construction procedures such as jack 
hammering, sand blasting, and similar dust producing procedures to 
produce similar intervention programs. Eventually we would hope, silica 
exposures among construction workers would decrease significantly. The 
total cost to respondents is $0.00.

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                                                                     No. of      Average burden/
                  Respondents                        No. of        responses/     response (in     Total burden
                                                   respondents     respondent         hrs.)         (in hrs.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Workers........................................             200               2            0.33            132
Contractors....................................              20               2            0.33             13.2
    Total......................................  ..............  ..............  ..............            145.2
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[[Page 66548]]

    Dated: November 25, 1998.
Charles W. Gollmar,
Acting Associate Director for Policy, Planning and Evaluation Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 98-32056 Filed 12-1-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P