[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 2 (Monday, January 5, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 363-364]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-40]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-04-21]


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) 498-1210.
    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 or other 
forms of information technology. Send comments to Seleda Perryman, CDC 
Assistant Reports Clearance Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-E11, 
Atlanta, GA 30333. Written comments should be received within 60 days 
of this notice.
    Proposed Project: Child Stress and Toxics--New--The Agency for 
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). ATSDR is mandated 
pursuant to the 1980 Comprehensive Environmental Response, 
Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and its 1986 amendments, the 
Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA), to serve the 
public by using the best science, taking responsive public health 
actions, and providing trusted health information to prevent harmful 
exposures and disease related to toxic substances.
    For the past 6 years, ATSDR has worked with the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 
Administration (SAMSHA), state health departments, and local 
communities on the issue of psychosocial stress due to the presence of 
toxic hazards. A significant amount of research has focused on adult 
psychosocial stress in communities affected by hazardous substances. 
Comparatively little is known about levels of psychosocial stress among 
children or other susceptible populations in these settings. There is a 
critical need to develop a research instrument to screen children who 
live in communities at or near hazardous waste sites for elevated 
stress levels. The instrument will facilitate the establishment of 
group norms for levels of stress in children and is not intended to 
provide clinical or diagnostic information on individual children.
    The purposes of this project are to: (1) Develop and pilot-test a 
scale to assess levels and sources of psychosocial stress in children 
who live in communities at or near hazardous waste sites; (2) modify 
the scale based on pilot-test results; (3) validate the scale on 
children living in communities near hazardous waste sites; and 4) 
provide an evidence base for planning and conducting interventions in 
affected communities.
    CDC will pilot test the scale in at least 100 children in two age 
groups (5th and 9th grade levels) at one or more test sites. Semi-
structured interviews or focus groups will be conducted to determine 
whether additional variables need to be included in the scale. During 
the second and third years of the project, a scale will be used to 
screen up to 4,700 children in communities at or near hazardous waste 
sites. CDC plans to then use this data to create effective 
interventions methods to predict and explain levels of stress in 
children living around hazardous waste sites. There are no costs to 
respondents.

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                                                                     Number of    Average burden/
                   Respondents                       Number of      responses/     response (in    Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent        hours)        (in hours)
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Children 10-17 years old........................           5,000               1           30/60           2,500
 
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[[Page 364]]

    Dated: December 29, 2003.
Ron Ergle,
Acting Director, Management Analysis and Services Office, Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 04-40 Filed 1-2-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P