[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 204 (Wednesday, October 21, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66984-66985]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-23265]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30 Day-21-0214]


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 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) 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 April 16, 2020 to obtain 
comments from the public and affected agencies. CDC received five 
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. Comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of 
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain Find this particular 
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function. 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

    National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) (OMB Control No. 0920-0214, 
Exp. 12/31/2020)--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.), as 
amended, authorizes that the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
(HHS), acting through NCHS, shall collect statistics on the extent and 
nature of illness and disability of the population of the United 
States.
    The annual National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) is a major 
source of general statistics on the health of the U.S. population and 
has been in the field continuously since 1957. This voluntary and 
confidential household-based survey collects demographic and health-
related information from a nationally representative sample of 
households and noninstitutionalized, civilian persons throughout the 
country. NHIS data have 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. The survey is also 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 HHS health objectives.
    The NHIS sample adult and sample child questionnaires include 
annual core content that is scheduled to be fielded in the survey every 
year, rotating content that is fielded periodically, emerging content 
to address new topics of growing interest, and sponsored content that 
is fielded when external funding is available. In July 2020, content 
related to the COVID-19 pandemic and for which emergency OMB clearance 
was obtained on June 22, 2020 was added to both the sample adult and 
sample child questionnaires. Items on positive COVID-19 cases, and 
access to non-pandemic care were added to both the sample child and 
sample adult questionnaires. Items on underlying health conditions, 
immunosuppression, access to cancer care, access to skilled and 
informal caregiving, social support, impact of chronic pain, and social 
distancing at current or most recent job were added to the sample adult 
questionnaire only. All of these items will be fielded as part of the 
2021 NHIS.
    Sample adult content fielded in the 2020 NHIS that will be removed 
from the 2021 NHIS includes dental services and other provider 
services, physical activity, walking for transportation and leisure, 
sleep, fatigue, smoking history and cessation and alcohol use. 
Sponsored content that will be removed include content on asthma, 
diabetes prevention, diabetes family history, opioid use, pain 
management and cancer control items on lung cancer screening, 
environment for walking and sun care protection. Sample child content 
fielded in the 2020 NHIS that will be removed from the 2021 NHIS 
include items on dental services, mental health services, other 
provider services, height and weight, physical activity, neighborhood 
characteristics, sleep, and screen time will rotate off the sample 
child core. Sponsored content on asthma will be also be removed.

[[Page 66985]]

    The 2021 rotating sample adult core will include questions that 
were previously fielded in the 2019 NHIS including items on chronic 
pain, preventive screening tests and aspirin use. New rotating core 
include items on allergies and psychological distress, both of which 
were fielded in the pre-redesigned NHIS. New sponsored content includes 
items on epilepsy, myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome 
(ME/CFS), insulin affordability, diabetes distress, A1C testing, 
colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, cervical cancer and breast cancer 
screening, occupational health, life satisfaction, hepatitis A and B 
vaccination coverage, COVID-19 vaccination coverage, and loss of the 
sense of taste and smell. New sponsored cancer control content that 
focuses on cancer screenings uses questions similar to those used in 
the 2019 NHIS.
    The 2021 rotating sample child core will include items on stressful 
life events previously fielded in 2019 and on allergies, fielded in the 
pre-redesigned NHIS. New content included for analyses in conjunction 
with the adolescent follow-back study (see below) includes items on 
social and emotional support, bullying, health care utilization and 
life satisfaction.
    Beginning around July 1, interviewers will ask the respondents for 
sample children aged 12-17 (usually the parent or guardian) for 
permission to contact the adolescent by web, phone, or mail and to ask 
follow-up questions about topics (1) already included in the sample 
child NHIS and (2) topics added to the sample child specifically 
related this follow-back. The adolescent questionnaire will be 
conducted web phone, or mail and include items on general health and 
well-being, height and weight, health care utilization, content of care 
in past year (or at last wellness visit), health care access, use of 
complementary and alternative health, physical activity, sleep, screen 
time, cognition, concussions, behavior, depression and anxiety, sexual 
orientation and gender identity, mental health care use and unmet need, 
social support, stressful life events, bullying, everyday 
discrimination, and demographics. Items on the survey environment and 
experience with the survey will also be asked.
    Like in past years, and in accordance with the 1995 initiative to 
increase the integration of surveys within the DHHS, respondents to the 
2021 NHIS will serve as the sampling frame for the Medical Expenditure 
Panel Survey conducted by the Agency for Healthcare Research and 
Quality. In addition, a subsample of NHIS respondents and/or members of 
commercial survey panels may be identified to participate in short, 
web-based methodological and cognitive testing activities to evaluate 
the questionnaire and/or inform the development of new rotating and 
sponsored content using web and/or mail survey tools. In the future, a 
subsample of NHIS respondents may also be re-contacted for a brief 
health exam.
    There is no cost to the respondents other than their time. 
Clearance is sought for three years, to collect data for 2021-2023. The 
total annualized burden is estimated to be 42,845 hours.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                                     Number of    Average burden
          Type of respondent                    Form name            Number of     responses per   per response
                                                                    respondents     respondent      (in hours)
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Adult Household Member................  Household Roster........          36,000               1            4/60
Sample Adult..........................  Adult Questionnaire.....          30,000               1           48/60
Adult Family Member...................  Child Questionnaire.....          10,000               1           19/60
Adult Family Member...................  Methodological Projects.          15,000               1           20/60
Sample Child..........................  Adolescent follow-back             1,200               1           16/60
                                         Survey.
Sample Adult..........................  Health Exam.............          10,000               1           45/60
Adult Family Member...................  Reinterview Survey......           5,500               1            5/60
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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. 2020-23265 Filed 10-20-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P