Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[INFO-96-21]

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) 639-7090.

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 for other

forms of information technology. Send comments to Wilma Johnson, CDC

Reports Clearance Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D24, Atlanta, GA

30333. Written comments should be received within 60 days of this

notice.

Proposed Projects

1. Studies of Immunotoxicity in Occupational Groups--(0920-0333)--

Extension--A number of chemicals to which U.S. workers are potentially

exposed, including metals such as lead and beryllium and solvents such

as carbon tetrachloride, have been found to be immunotoxic in

experimental animals. There is little data on immunosuppression,

hypersensitivity or autoimmune disease in workers exposed to chemicals

that are immunotoxic in experimental animals. NIOSH has undertaken a

coordinated series of studies to focus on immune-system effects related

to specific chemical exposures in the workplace. In the previous three

years, NIOSH conducted studies of lead and egg protein exposed workers.

In this extension of the program, it is anticipated that up to five

additional research studies will be conducted

[[Page 41634]]

under this program. Examples of chemicals for which studies are being

considered are latex, silica and solvents. In most of these studies,

the immune function of a group of workers exposed to the chemical of

interest, and not exposed to any other known or potential immunotoxins,

will be compared to the immune function in a group of individuals with

no occupational exposure to known or suspected immunotoxins. In some

studies, the immune function in a group of individuals will be compared

before and after they have exposure to the potential immunotoxin. The

primary information collected will be data on the level of exposure to

the potential immunotoxin (as measured in the air in the breathing zone

of the respondent, and/or in the respondent's blood or urine) and data

on specific markers of the status of the immune system from blood or

saliva samples provided by the subjects. The questionnaire data will be

directed at demographic, lifestyle, and medical factors (other than the

exposure or condition of interest) which may influence the function of

the immune system. In selected studies, the questionnaire will be used

to assess the presence of respiratory symptoms, dermatologic conditions

and/or reproductive effects, if the literature indicates a potential

relationship to these health problems. Study populations will be

identified through telephone contact and follow-up site visits (if

needed) with workplace facilities that use the chemical of interest.

The total cost to respondents is estimated at $7,500.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Average

Number of Number of burden/ Total

Respondents respondents responses/ response burden (in

respondent (in hours) hours)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Workers..................................................... 300 1 1 300

Companies................................................... 10 1 1 10

---------------------------------------------------

Total................................................. ........... ........... ........... 310

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. Feasibility Study of a State and Local Area Integrated Telephone

Survey--New--This is a request to conduct a feasibility study in three

States of an integrated survey to collect broad State-based health and

health-related data using two existing and ongoing data collection

systems, the National Immunization Survey (NIS) and the National Health

Interview Survey (NHIS) (0920-0214). The purpose of this project is to

demonstrate the potential for using random-digit-dialing (RDD) methods

to sample households for Computer Assisted Telephone Interviews (CATI)

to produce quick turnaround State-level estimates on issues such as

health status, access to care, health insurance coverage, and

utilization of services for monitoring and tracking changes in the

health care system. As health care markets respond to new incentives

and States gain increasing responsibility for administering health and

welfare programs, State level data are being recognized as increasingly

important to the public health and health policy community. While

considerable population-based data are available at the national level,

there is a variable amount at the State level.

The proposed strategy of building on two established systems

provides several advantages. It is less costly than establishing a new

system; the proposed questions have been thoroughly tested; and

implementation can occur rapidly. In the NIS, interviews are conducted

on a random sample of telephone households to produce vaccination

coverage estimates for children 19 to 35 months of age for all 50

states, the District of Columbia, and 27 urban areas. The NIS CATI

system offers a mechanism for rapid data collection and for expansion

to establish a more broad based system to monitor and track changes in

health status, the health care system, and welfare reform at the State

level. In addition, since the design for the NIS requires screening 20

households to identify a single household with an age eligible child, a

potential cost effective opportunity exists to make use of the large

probability sample of telephone numbers for other emerging health care

issues. The NHIS is a continuous general purpose national health survey

in which face-to-face interviews are conducted to measure health

characteristics of the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population.

Use of an abbreviated set of questions from the NHIS for the proposed

integrated telephone survey will allow for standardization of the

questionnaire across States and will allow comparisons with national

data. In addition, the quality of the estimates developed from the

telephone survey can be improved with adjustments for nontelephone

households using information from the NHIS on telephone and

nontelephone households.

The long term strategy is to build an integrated and coordinated

data collection mechanism that can be both standardized for State and

national comparisons and customized for State-specific needs. The total

cost to respondents is estimated at $27,000.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Average

Number of Number of burden/ Total

Respondents respondents responses/ response burden (in

respondent (in hours) hours)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Noninstitutionalized household population in 3 States....... 4,500 1 0.30 1,350

---------------------------------------------------

Total................................................. ........... ........... ........... 1,350

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[[Page 41635]]

Dated: August 5, 1996.

Wilma G. Johnson,

Acting Associate Director for Policy Planning and Evaluation, Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

[FR Doc. 96-20322 Filed 8-8-96; 8:45 am]

[BILLING CODE 4163-18-P]