FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, July 15, 2005
For additional information contact:
Amy Morris, Community Relations Coordinator, 616.632.7110
William Crews, Spokesman, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 310.458.4774
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to Get Underway in Kent County
(Grand Rapids, MI) – Beginning July 22, 2005, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), the nation’s most comprehensive study of the health and nutritional status of Americans, gets underway in Kent County.
Each year, approximately 7,000 randomly-selected residents in 15 counties across the country have the opportunity to participate in the latest NHANES, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
Individuals selected for the survey represent the U.S. population of all ages. Special emphasis in the new NHANES will be on the health of adolescents, pregnant women, and older Americans. In addition to covering the health of the total population, profiles of the health of specific groups, e.g. African-Americans and Mexican-Americans are developed.
Respondents will first participate in a health interview conducted in their home followed by an examination that will take place in one of three mobile examination centers. All participants will receive a focused examination by a physician, as well as a dietary interview, body measurement, and dental examination. There is also a fitness test, where many participants will walk on a treadmill while technicians assess their cardiovascular health. The various tests and procedures depend upon the age of the participant. Participants selected to undergo the physical examination receive reimbursement for travel expenses and remuneration of up to $100 per person.
“NHANES is very much like a ‘health exam center on wheels,’ that goes out into actual communities to get data on real Americans,” said CDC Director Dr. Julie L. Gerberding. “It truly is a unique resource for health information in this country, and without it we wouldn’t have data on a number of important health conditions.”
The information gathered in NHANES will be used by public health officials, legislators, and physicians to develop sound health policies, direct and design health programs and services, and expand the health knowledge for the nation.
NHANES has been conducted by NCHS periodically for more than 40 years, but beginning this year, the survey will be in the field continuously, and will provide annual estimates on a range of diseases such as the number of Americans who have heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, respiratory disease, and other conditions. To learn more about NHANES visit www.cdc.gov/nhanes/.
