Building Healthier Communities through Partnership

Community Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (CHANES)

The integration of direct physical examination, clinical and laboratory tests with personal interviews on health and nutritional status has been the trade mark of the NHANES surveys. NHANES have thus become unique national data source for monitoring important health issues and formulating public health policies.

However, despite needs and requests from state and local governments, small area estimates cannot be directly calculated from NHANES data due to its design features. To overcome that limitation, NCHS has for many years considered the concept of a Community Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (CHANES) that focuses on local area estimates.  The community HANES is also envisioned to provide rapid access to data, with the expected time from the start of a project to data dissemination of one to two years. 

Through public-private partnership, this concept has become a reality.  To date, several CHANES projects have been carried out to provide objective health measures of specific communities. Each study has its own focus on the needs of their community. Therefore, the results can be used to develop, promote and implement relevant programs and policies, and provide sound scientific evidence for action.

NCHS has engaged with the following communities:

1. New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene for NYC HANES 1
2. University of Wisconsin for the Survey of the Health of Wisconsin (SHOW)
3. California Department of Public Health for the California Environmental Contaminant Bio-monitoring Program (CECBP)
4. Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, National Bureau of Economic Research, and Providence Healthcare for the Oregon Health Study (OHS)
5. University of Chicago for the South Side Health and Vitality Study (SSHVS). 

NCHS Role as Collaborative Consultant
In the above mentioned studies, NCHS has played a consulting role by leveraging the expertise, experience, methods, protocols, information technology and equipment. The general framework for NCHS engagement with a community is to review scientific objectives, design and plan the study, conduct the study, prepare public data files, and engage in post-study communication such as scientific publications. 

NCHS community engagement occurs in any of four different modes: 

1. Technical assistance: informal relationship between the community and NCHS in which irregular technical exchange is carried out via email, phone calls and occasional in-person meetings.
2. Collaboration: NCHS and the community have a formal contract reimbursing NCHS for the assistance provided.  This requires considerably more time and effort on the part of NCHS.  However, the community has complete ownership of the study, retains all rights to the data, and utilizes their own institutional review board and confidentiality protections. 
3. Partnership:  NCHS and the community are equally responsible and liable for all aspects of a study. 
4. Independent study: NCHS carries out the community HANES study independently.

NHANES Consortium Meeting for Non-Federal Stakeholders on May 4th, 2010

A separate meeting is planned on May 4th for non-Federal stakeholders and data users from 1:30-3:30 pm in the auditorium at NCHS, 3311 Toledo Road, Hyattsville, Maryland 20782.  There will be presentations similar to those given at the April 7th meeting, as well as some additional speakers representing the CDC Foundation and Friends of NCHS.

Limited spaces are available for attendance via web conferencing. You will need an internet connection and a touch-tone phone (preferably with a mute button) in order to participate. Please e-mail NHANESNews@CDC.GOV to RSVP to attend in person, or to be put on the invitation list to participate via Live Meeting (web conference) and note that your request is for the May 4th meeting.  Detailed instructions will be sent to you on how to connect following receipt of your request.