[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 191 (Monday, October 2, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58773-58774]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-25143]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30DAY-70-00]


Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes a 
list of information collection requests under review by the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). To request a copy of these requests, call 
the CDC Reports Clearance Officer at (404) 639-7090. Send written 
comments to CDC, Desk Officer, Human Resources and Housing Branch, New 
Executive Office Building, Room 10235; Washington, DC 20503. Written 
comments should be received within 30 days of this notice.

Proposed Project

    Workplace Exacerbation of Asthma--NEW--The National Institute of 
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention. Work-related asthma is the most common lung disease seen in 
occupational health clinics in the United States based on data from the 
Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics for 1991-1996.
    Work-related asthma includes both new onset asthma initiated by 
workplace exposures and pre-existing asthma exacerbated by workplace 
environments, because in both types of cases repeated exposure to 
asthmatic agents can lead to chronic pulmonary impairment. Also, the 
1985 American Thoracic Society statement ``What Constitutes an Adverse 
Health Effect of Air Pollution,'' identified exacerbation of asthma as 
one of the serious effects of environmental air pollution. While 
anecdotal evidence suggests that as many as one-half of work-related 
asthma patients treated in occupational medicine clinics had pre-
existing asthma that was exacerbated by workplace conditions, there is 
little data from studies in the United States to support this claim.
    This study will investigate the frequency, causes, and consequences 
of workplace exacerbation of asthma (WEA). Given the diversity of 
workplace agents and processes associated with asthma, a population-
based, rather than industry-based, study is needed to ascertain the 
full extent of the problem. This will be achieved by surveying adults 
with asthma. The Specific Aims are: (1) To determine the frequency of 
workplace exacerbation of asthma. (2) To determine the circumstances at 
work associated with exacerbation of asthma. (3) To determine the 
social and economic costs associated with workplace exacerbation of 
asthma. (4) To determine the sensitivity and specificity of self-
reported workplace exacerbation of asthma. (5) To determine whether 
workplace exacerbation of asthma contributes to progression of disease. 
The design is a prospective cohort study with a nested validation 
study. A questionnaire will be completed in the baseline study to 
address Specific Aims 1-3. Also, patient care records will be used to 
ascertain cost of asthma care for each participant (Specific Aim 3). A 
subset of employed subjects with and without workplace exacerbation 
will be requested to conduct serial spirometry, and the findings will 
serve as the ``gold standard'' to determine the sensitivity and 
specificity of a self-report of workplace exacerbation of asthma 
(Specific Aim 4). All subjects from the baseline study will be asked to 
complete a follow-up questionnaire approximately two years later to 
investigate whether workplace exacerbation at baseline predicts an 
increase in asthma severity (Specific Aim 5).
    The data collected in this study will be used to further current 
understanding of the frequency of workplace-exacerbated asthma, the 
social and economic impacts of this problem, and the implication of a 
report of WEA for subsequent asthma severity. This information can be 
used to prioritize resources for addressing this problem. The data 
collected in this study will also identify which jobs and exposures are 
likely to exacerbate existing asthma, thus providing guidance on where 
to focus preventive efforts. The data collected in this study on the 
validity of a self-report of WEA will be useful to both clinicians and 
researchers who attempt to treat or study individuals with this 
problem. The estimated annualized burden is 844 hours.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                    No.        Average
                                      No. of     responses    burden per
            Form name              respondents      per        response
                                                 respondent   (in hrs.)
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Phase 1: attempts to get an              1,100            1         5/60
 interview.......................
Phase 1: Completed Baseline Study          800            1        30/60
 Interviews......................

[[Page 58774]]

 
Phase 3: attempt to get an                 800            1         5/60
 interview.......................
Phase 3: Completed Follow-up               600            1          300
 Study Interviews................
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    Dated: September 26, 2000.
Nancy Cheal,
Acting Associate Director for Policy, Planning and Evaluation Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 00-25143 Filed 9-29-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-M