Publisher's Synopsis
The Allergen Dust Collection Study is a follow-up study of persons who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Survey sponsored by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). This chapter provides a general description of the health examination surveys conducted by NCHS and the ongoing National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). This NHANES is the eighth in a series of national examination studies conducted in the United States since the early 1960s. The surveys are unique in that interview and physical examination data are obtained from national samples of the U.S. population. The examinations are conducted in mobile examination centers (MECs) that travel to 15 survey locations per year. NHANES data have been the cornerstone for numerous national health and nutrition policy activities and health research. The National Health Survey Act, passed in 1956, provided the legislative authorization for a continuing survey to provide current statistical data on the amount, distribution, and effects of illness and disability in the United States. To fulfill the purposes of this act, it was recognized that data collection would involve at least three sources: (1) the people themselves by direct interview; (2) clinical tests, measurements, and physical examinations on sample persons; and (3) places where persons received medical care such as hospitals, clinics, and doctor's offices.
