[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 36 (Friday, February 22, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5680-5681]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-03100]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30Day-19-18UC]


Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has submitted the information 
collection request titled Costs of Implementing Community-based Sodium 
Reduction Strategies to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
review and approval. CDC previously published a ``Proposed Data 
Collection Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations'' notice on 
June 1, 2018 to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies. 
The 60-day FRN was published under the title ``Evaluation of the Sodium 
Reduction in Communities Program.'' Since then, the project title has 
been modified for better alignment with study aims. CDC received two 
non-substantive comments related to the previous notice. This notice 
serves to allow an additional 30 days for public and affected agency 
comments.
    CDC will accept all comments for this proposed information 
collection project. The Office of Management and Budget is particularly 
interested in comments that:
    (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, 725 17th 
Street NW, Washington, DC 20503 or by fax to (202) 395-5806. Provide 
written comments within 30 days of notice publication.

Proposed Project

    Costs of Implementing Community-based Sodium Reduction Strategies--
New--National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health 
Promotion (NCCDPHP), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the primary 
Federal agency for protecting health and promoting quality of life 
through the prevention and control of disease, injury, and disability. 
CDC is committed to programs that reduce the health and economic 
consequences of the leading causes of death and disability, thereby 
ensuring a long, productive, healthy life for all people.
    Sodium reduction is a public health imperative. Although the 2015-
2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends no more than 2,300 mg/
day of sodium for adults, U.S. adults consume an average of more than 
3,500 mg/day. The significant gap between recommended intake and 
average intake poses a serious public health risk; high sodium intake 
leads to hypertension, a common and costly health risk in the United 
States. The increasing prevalence of hypertension is especially 
troubling because high blood pressure leads to serious health issues, 
including cardiovascular disease (CVD), stroke, and kidney disease. One 
study projected that the real direct medical costs of CVD will triple 
between 2010 and 2030, from $273 billion to $818 billion. Recent 
studies have shown that even modest population-level sodium reductions 
can lead to significant decreases in blood pressure and to potentially 
enormous savings--in lives and in dollars.
    Reducing sodium levels presents a special set of challenges for 
public health programs because high sodium intake is largely the result 
of sodium found in processed foods and foods prepared in restaurants. 
As such, multiple reports by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the 
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have asserted the need for large-
scale, population-based efforts to decrease sodium consumption.
    Recognizing the importance of population-based approaches, CDC 
launched the first round of the Sodium Reduction in Communities Program 
(SRCP) in 2010 to reduce sodium intake by helping to create healthier 
food environments and a second round in 2013 to reduce sodium intake in 
food environments through population-based sodium reduction strategies. 
SRCP's project goals include increasing access to and availability of 
lower-sodium food options. The long-term goal of the initiative is to 
reduce sodium intake to within the recommended levels in the 2010 
Dietary Guidelines for Americans. CDC funded eight SRCP grantees in 
2016 to continue improving community and environmental supports for 
sodium reduction and to build practice-based evidence around effective 
population-based strategies to reduce sodium consumption. Grantees 
included state and local health departments and one university medical 
center. These communities are partnering with organizations to 
implement sodium reduction strategies in their food service venues. By 
creating a healthier environment, CDC seeks to decrease the population-
wide burden of sodium intake.
    CDC and RTI International propose to collect information from all 
partners of SRCP recipients that are willing to participate in order to 
estimate the costs to SRCP partners of implementing sodium reduction 
strategies. Partner organizations are those that work to implement the 
sodium reduction strategies in their food services and can

[[Page 5681]]

include worksites, schools, universities, hospitals, senior meal 
programs, food banks, and restaurants. The information collection will 
occur via the SRCP Partner Cost Survey, in which respondents will be 
asked about a key set of sodium reduction activities that were 
developed based on a pilot study with eight partners as part of the 
evaluation of SRCP Round 2. Activities include: Establishing nutrition 
guidelines, developing lower sodium products or recipes, preparing 
lower-sodium food, promoting lower-sodium foods, and attending 
additional meetings. We will request participation from all SRCP 
partners via email and offer a $50 gift card as an incentive. Complete 
surveys will be returned to CDC's data collection contractor by email. 
The estimated burden per response is one hour.
    The insights to be gained from this data collection will be 
critical to understanding the full costs of implementing community-
based sodium reduction strategies. Estimates will be considered 
preliminary and not externally generalizable but can provide a basis 
for future planning and evaluation. Understanding the costs to partners 
is important for program planning to support program longevity and 
sustainability. For example, CDC can use findings to provide guidance 
or technical assistance to entities that are interested in population-
based strategies for reducing sodium consumption. Results will also be 
disseminated to other state and local organizations to inform planning 
and sustainability of other community-based public health initiatives.
    OMB approval is requested for one year. CDC estimates that 
information will be collected from 44 of the SRCP's community partners 
(50% response rate). Participation is voluntary and there are no costs 
to respondents other than their time. The estimated annualized burden 
hours are 44.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                     Number of    Average burden
          Type of respondents                   Form name            Number of     responses per   per response
                                                                    respondents     respondent      (in hours)
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Partner Program Manager...............  SRCP Partner Cost Survey              44               1               1
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Jeffrey M. Zirger,
Lead, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Scientific 
Integrity, Office of Science, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2019-03100 Filed 2-21-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4163-18-P