[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 235 (Tuesday, December 8, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76291-76292]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-30854]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30Day-15-0214; Docket No. CDC-2015-0076]


Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has submitted 
the following information collection request to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The notice for the proposed 
information collection is published to obtain comments from the public 
and affected agencies. Written comments and suggestions from the public 
and affected agencies concerning the proposed collection of information 
are encouraged. Your comments should address any of the following: (a) 
Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary 
for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including 
whether the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the 
accuracy of the agencies estimate of the burden of the proposed 
collection of information, including the validity of the methodology 
and assumptions used; (c) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected; (d) Minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on those who are to respond, including 
through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or 
other technological collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses; and 
(e) Assess information collection costs. To request additional 
information on the proposed project or to obtain a copy of the 
information collection plan and instruments, call (404) 639-7570 or 
send an email to [email protected]. Direct written comments and/or 
suggestions regarding the items contained in this notice to the 
Attention: CDC Desk Officer, Office of Management and Budget, 
Washington, DC 20503 or by fax to (202) 395-5806. Written comments 
should be received within 30 days of this notice.


Proposed Project

    National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) (OMB Control No. 0920-0214, 
expires 12/31/2017)--Revision--National Center for Health Statistics 
(NCHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).


Background and Brief Description

    Section 306 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act (42 U.S.C. 
242k), as amended, authorizes that the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services (DHHS), acting through NCHS, shall collect data on the extent 
and nature of illness and disability of the population of the United 
States. The annual National Health Interview Survey is a major source 
of general statistics on the health of the U.S. population and has been 
in the field continuously since 1957. Clearance is sought for three 
years, to collect data from 2016 to 2018. This voluntary and 
confidential household-based survey collects demographic and health-
related information from a nationally representative sample of 
noninstitutionalized, civilian persons and households throughout the 
country. Personal identification information is requested from survey 
respondents to facilitate linkage of survey data with health-related 
administrative and other records. In 2016 the NHIS will collect 
information from approximately 45,000 households, which contain about 
112,000 individuals.
    Information is collected using computer assisted personal 
interviews (CAPI). A core set of data is collected each year that 
remains largely unchanged, whereas sponsored supplements vary from year 
to year. The core set includes socio-demographic characteristics, 
health status, health care services, and health behaviors. For 2016, 
supplemental questions will be cycled in pertaining to balance, blood 
donation, chronic pain, diabetes, and vision. Supplemental topics that 
continue or are enhanced from 2015 pertain to family food security, 
heart disease and stroke, inflammatory bowel disease, hepatitis B and C 
screening, children's mental health, disability and functioning, 
smokeless tobacco and e-cigarettes, and immunizations. Questions from 
2015 on cancer control, epilepsy, and occupational health have been 
removed. In addition to these core and supplemental modules, a follow-
back survey will be conducted on previous NHIS respondents to collect 
additional health related information using alternative question 
wording and data collection modes as a testbed for the intended 2018 
redesign of the NHIS questionnaire. In addition, a subsample of NHIS 
respondents may be identified to participate in a pilot test to assess 
the feasibility of integrating wearable devices into the NHIS data 
collection process. The aim is to directly track health measurements, 
to compare those measurements to the self-reported health information 
provided by respondents, and to assess the role of devices in reducing 
respondent burden.
    A new sampling strategy is being implemented in 2016 and for the 
foreseeable future. This new sampling design is necessitated by the 
prior 2006-2015 sample being exhausted, and will take into account 
demographic shifts in the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized 
population. It will also be more flexible allowing for additions and 
contractions to reflect funding availability and to meet estimation 
goals. As in previous years, the base sample will remain at 
approximately 35,000 completed household interviews annually. To 
balance the precision of national and state-based estimates, most of 
the sample (approximately 25,000 completed interviews) will be 
allocated proportionally to the state population to maximize the 
precision of national-level estimates. A smaller portion of the sample 
(approximately 10,000 completed interviews) will be shifted to increase 
sample in the 10 least populous states, enabling state-level estimates 
of key variables to be produced for all 50 states and DC by pooling 3 
years of data. This flexibility embedded in the new sampling plan 
reflects. Additional funding to improve state-level estimates will 
increase the sample by almost 10,000 completed interviews in midsize 
states bringing the total expected sample size in 2016 to 45,000 
households.
    Whereas the sampling frame for the NHIS has traditionally used 
field listing by the Census Bureau, in order to contain costs, the new 
frame will use a commercially available address list that covers 
residential addresses within all 50 states and the District of 
Columbia. Some field listing will be undertaken to improve coverage in 
rural areas, in high density areas, and of university housing units. 
This represents a substantial reduction in the number of listings 
performed annually.
    It is anticipated that this new sampling plan will not affect 
estimates generated using NHIS data. To monitor the new design's 
performance, NHIS analysts will perform monthly checks in line with the 
ones currently performed as part of routine data review. NCHS receives 
raw data files monthly from the Census Bureau for processing and 
quality review. Each year, results from the January sample are compared 
to the

[[Page 76292]]

previous year to determine whether the results consistent. In addition 
to comparing the unweighted and weighted frequencies, the input and 
output specifications are reviewed, and the flowcharts are compared to 
the skip instructions and universes for each question. If a difference 
is found, steps are taken to determine whether the change is legitimate 
or whether there is a factor other than the programming of the 
questionnaire such as the location or context of the question in the 
questionnaire. If a difference persists, the paradata are reviewed to 
determine whether there are changes in the mean or median time spent on 
that question, whether interviewers had a high rate of backing up to 
return to that question, and whether other questions in that battery 
were similarly affected. Persistent differences will be examined to 
determine whether there is any other interviewer effect such as results 
comparing newly hired and experienced interviewers and newly added 
primary sampling units compared to continuing primary sampling units. 
In addition, national estimates on the key set of indicators that are 
released in a quarterly report as part of the Early Release program 
will be monitored by NHIS analysts.
    In accordance with the 1995 initiative to increase the integration 
of surveys within the DHHS, respondents to the NHIS serve as the 
sampling frame for the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey conducted by 
the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The NHIS has long been 
used by government, academic, and private researchers to evaluate both 
general health and specific issues, such as smoking, diabetes, health 
care coverage, and access to health care. It is 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 2020.''
    Burden hours have seen a net increase of 1,367 hours compared to 
2015 due to the removal of the screener questionnaire and the addition 
of the questionnaire redesign activities. There is no cost to the 
respondents other than their time.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                      Average
                                                                     Number of       Number of      burden per
          Type of respondents                   Form name           respondents   responses  per   response  (in
                                                                                     respondent       hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Adult Family Member...................  Family Questionnaire....          45,000               1           23/60
Sample Adult..........................  Sample Adult                      36,000               1           15/60
                                         Questionnaire.
Adult Family Member...................  Sample Child                      14,000               1           10/60
                                         Questionnaire.
Adult Family Member...................  Supplements.............          45,000               1           20/60
Adult Family Member...................  Special Projects........          15,000               1           20/60
Adult Family Member...................  Reinterview Questions...           5,000               1            5/60
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Total.............................  ........................  ..............  ..............          49,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Leroy A. Richardson,
Chief, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Scientific 
Integrity, Office of the Associate Director for Science, Office of the 
Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
 [FR Doc. 2015-30854 Filed 12-7-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4163-18-P