Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[INFO-97-05]

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. The Fourth National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

(NHANES IV)--New--The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

(NHANES) has been conducted periodically since 1970 by the National

Center for Health Statistics, CDC.

[[Page 9772]]

NHANES IV is planned for 1998-2004 to include 40,000 sample persons.

They will receive an interview and a physical examination. A pretest of

400 people and a dress rehearsal of 555 are needed to test the sampling

process, data collection procedures, computer-assisted personal

interviews (including translations into Spanish), examination

protocols, automated computer systems and quality control procedures.

Participation in the pretest and the full survey will be completely

voluntary and confidential.

NHANES programs produce descriptive statistics which measure the

health and nutrition status of the general population. Through the use

of questionnaires, physical examinations, and laboratory tests, NHANES

studies the relationship between diet, nutrition and health in a

representative sample of the United States. NHANES monitors the

prevalence of chronic conditions and risk factors related to health

such as coronary heart disease, arthritis, osteoporosis, pulmonary and

infectious diseases, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol,

obesity, smoking, drug and alcohol use, environmental exposures, and

diet. NHANES data are used to establish the norms for the general

population against which health care providers can compare such patient

characteristics as height, weight, and nutrient levels in the blood.

Data from future NHANES can be compared to those from previous NHANES

to monitor changes in the health of the U.S. population. NHANES IV will

also establish a national probability sample of genetic material for

future genetic testing for susceptibility to disease.

Users of NHANES data include Congress; the World Health

Organization; Federal agencies such as NIH, EPA, and USDA; private

groups such as the American Heart Association; schools of public

health; private businesses; individual practitioners; and

administrators. NHANES data are used to establish, monitor, and

evaluate recommended dietary allowances, food fortification policies,

programs to limit environmental exposures, immunization guidelines and

health education and disease prevention programs. The burden hour

estimate in this notice is based on the request for OMB approval for

the pretest, dress rehearsal and the first 2.25 years of the full

survey. The total cost to respondents for the period covered by this

notice and the related request for OMB approval (from 1/98-12/00) is

estimated at $952,995.

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Number of

respondents Number of Total

Respondents between 1/ responses/ Avg. burden/response (in hrs.) burden (in

98-12/00 respondent hrs.)

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1. Screening interview......................... 34,188 1 .167............................................................ 5,709

2. Family questionnaire (subset of #1)......... 5,830 1 .267............................................................ 1,557

3. Household interview (subset of #1).......... 11,660 1 .667............................................................ 7,777

4. Exam (primary) (subset of #3)............... 8,816 1 5.00 (including travel time).................................... 44,080

5. Replicate exam (10% of #4 above)............ 882 1 5.00 (including travel time).................................... 4,410

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Total...................................... ........... ........... ................................................................ 65,533

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2. 1998 National Health Interview Survey, Basic Module (0920-

0214)--Revision--The annual National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) is

a basic source of general statistics on the health of the U.S.

population. Due to the integration of health surveys in the Department

of Health and Human Services, the NHIS also has become the sampling

frame and first stage of data collection for other major surveys,

including the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, the National Survey of

Family Growth, and the National Health and Nutrition Examination

Survey. By linking to the NHIS, the analysis potential of these surveys

increases. The NHIS has long been used by government, university, and

private researchers to evaluate both general health and specific

issues, such as cancer, AIDS, and childhood immunizations. Journalists

use its data to inform the general public. It will continue to be 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 2000.''

Because of survey integration and changes in the health and health

care of the U.S. population, demands on the NHIS have changed and

increased, leading to a major redesign of the annual core

questionnaire, or Basic Module, and a redesign of the data collection

system from paper questionnaires to computer assisted personal

interviews (CAPI). Those redesigned elements were partially implemented

in 1996 and fully implemented in 1997. This clearance is for the second

full year of data collection using the Basic Module on CAPI, and for

implementation of the first ``Topical Module'' (or supplement), which

is on Health People 2000 Objectives. Ad hoc Topical Modules on various

health issues are provided for in the redesigned NHIS. This data

collection, planned for January-December 1998, will result in

publication of new national estimates of health statistics, release of

public use micro data files, and a sampling frame for other integrated

surveys. In particular, the topical module will provide end-point

estimates for many of the Healthy People 2000 Objectives.

The Basic Module of the new data system is expected to be in the

field at least until 2006. The total cost to respondents is estimated

at $714,000 for the whole survey.

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No. of Avg. burden/ Total

Respondents No. of responses/ response (in burden (in

respondents respondent hrs.) hrs.)

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Family..................................................... 42,000 1 0.5 21,000

Sample adult............................................... 42,000 1 0.75 31,500

Sample child............................................... 18,000 1 0.25 4,500

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Total.................................................. ........... ........... ............ 57,000

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[[Page 9773]]

3. National Childhood Blood Lead Surveillance System--(0920-0337)--

Reinstatement--Lead poisoning is a common and societally devastating

environmental disease of young children in the United States. In

response to the call for a national surveillance program of lead levels

made in the HHS publication, Strategic Plan for the Elimination of

Childhood Lead Poisoning (February 1991), CDC established the National

Childhood Blood Lead Surveillance System. In FY92, CDC awarded funds to

eight states to assist them in developing a complete childhood lead

surveillance activity. In FY96, CDC provided funding for childhood

blood lead surveillance activity in 31 states and the District of

Columbia. Sixteen of these states submitted 1995 (calendar year) data

to the national database. Information from this national surveillance

system may be used by Federal and state agencies to (1) more accurately

estimate the number of children with elevated lead levels; (2) monitor

short-term trends; (3) identify clusters of cases; (4) determine

geographic distribution of cases; (5) examine risk factors among

children with elevated lead levels; (6) identify risk factors for

elevated lead levels among specific population groups; (7) target

intervention programs to groups at risk for elevated lead levels; and

(8) track national progress in eliminating childhood lead poisoning.

The total cost to respondents is $8,208.

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No. of Avg. burden/ Total

Respondents No. of responses/ response burden (in

respondents respondent (in hrs.) hrs.)

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State Health Departments:

(a) Annual Report....................................... 20 1 10 200

(b) Quarterly Report.................................... 32 4 2 256

Total................................................. ........... ........... ........... 456

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Dated: February 26, 1997.

Wilma G. Johnson,

Acting Associate Director for Policy Planning And Evaluation, Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

[FR Doc. 97-5235 Filed 3-3-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4163-18-P