The following press release was issued by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, known as NHANES, is currently underway in Bulloch, Effingham, and Screven Counties. Sponsored by the National Center for Health Statistics [(part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC)], NHANES has been traveling across the country learning about the health of the U.S. population since 1960.
NHANES collects data on everything from the chemicals people are exposed to in their environment to the tracking of critical health concerns, such as diabetes and heart disease. Public health officials and legislators use this information to develop public health policies and design health programs. These data also help doctors understand their patients’ chances of getting different diseases by providing baseline information like blood pressure or cholesterol averages.
“NHANES serves as the nation’s ‘health check-up’ by going into communities throughout the country to collect health information.”
Carolyn Greene, MD, Acting Director of the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)
About 500 randomly selected households in Bulloch, Effingham, and Screven counties are being invited to participate. Those households that receive invitation letters will then be asked to complete a brief survey to see if anyone in their home is eligible to take part. Participants will complete an interview at their home, followed by a health exam at the NHANES Mobile Exam Center. The Mobile Exam Center is specifically equipped to collect height and weight, blood pressure, body composition, vision, audiometry, oral health, spirometry, and multiple other types of exams, although specific measurements and exams depend on a participant’s age and sex.
As a thank you for taking part in NHANES, participants receive:
- Free health exams at the NHANES Mobile Exam Center and results that can be shared with their health care providers
- Compensation for transportation and child or adult care costs
- A generous token of appreciation for their time
All information collected is kept confidential, and individual privacy is protected by law.
Collecting timely information on the status of the nation’s health is critical. Participation is by invitation only, so those in the area should be sure to check if they’ve received a letter and be on the lookout for the Mobile Exam Center, Mobile Exam Center, located at Georgia Southern University’s Division of Continuing and Professional Education (CPE Center) starting Mid-April to the end of June.
For more information, visit www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/.
The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) [http://www.cdc.gov/nchs] conducts the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) [https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/], a national survey that monitors the health and nutritional status of adults and children across the United States. NCHS is part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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