Summer 2011
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NHANES News

First set of 2009-2010 data files is under review by collaborators. DHANES sent the first set of data files from the 2009-2010 survey cycle to collaborators in July for their final review.  This is the final quality assurance review in the preparation for public release of these data sets.  A total of 54 files were included in this collaborator release, which included 1 demographic, 19 questionnaire, 4 exam, and 30 lab files. The first set of public files for the 2009-2010 NHANES is scheduled for release in late September, 2011.

The NHANES Urinary Sodium Calibration Study was designed to evaluate the correlation of urinary sodium excretion between NHANES timed urine and 24-hour urine collections. Data collection for the study started in June and was completed by the end of July. We have collected 24-hour urine specimens and dietary data for 408 volunteer participants aged 18-39 years old. A subsample of 135 of the participants provided a second 24-hour urine collection. All the urine samples have been sent to CDC labs for processing and preliminary QC checks are in progress. We expect to receive all the lab results back by the end of August. Dietary data have been sent to USDA/ARS for processing as scheduled. We expect to receive coded dietary data back by the end of November.

Update on Asian Oversampling. Over 140 documents have been translated and reviewed for accuracy with only a few planned documents remaining. As of mid-July, in the 2011 NHANES, among Asians identified in the sample, 62.9% agreed to be interviewed and 60.6% were examined. In comparison to the total number of persons identified in the sample (includes Asians), 76.2% were interviewed and 73.4% were examined. Asians are participating at a lower rate, and targeted community outreach efforts will continue to try improve response rates by Asian Americans.

Preparations for the NHANES National Youth Fitness Survey are underway (NNYFS). DHANES received Affordable Care Act (ACA) funds to conduct a pilot study and collect data in 2012 on physical activity and physical fitness in children and adolescents ages 3-15. Trailers are being refurbished for NNYFS use, all outreach and promotional materials are being developed, and study protocols are being finalized. The pilot study will begin in October, 2011.

 

Possible Changes to the Second Day of Dietary Recall

DHANES, along with USDA/ARS, held a live web conference on August 1, to give users advance notice about possible changes to the dietary component in NHANES and gather stakeholders’ feedback. 

Since 2001, the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service and CDC/NCHS have jointly supported two days of dietary recall on each What We Eat In America/NHANES participant. As Federal budgets continue to tighten, resources are not anticipated to be available to continue collecting the same amount of dietary data in 2012 and beyond as has been collected over the past decade. Discussions are underway with additional collaborators to support the current level of collection, at least in 2012.

For those who missed the live meeting, but would like to listen to the discussions, please use the information below to view the recording.

Recording URL: https://www.livemeeting.com/cc/cdc/view
Recording ID: DJ6Q8N

Four Fellowship Positions Open in DHANES

There are three fellowship positions open in the Analysis Branch to recruit researchers in the following fields:  nutritional epidemiology, environmental epidemiology, and chronic disease epidemiology. Candidates can be considered at either the associate or senior service fellow level depending upon their background and experience. The fourth fellowship is for a senior nutrition monitoring advisor in the Office of the Director.

All these positions are 24-month temporary appointments with potential extension to 5 years. U.S. citizenship is not required for the initial appointment. Please check the detailed position descriptions by clicking the links below, or forward them to people with research interests in these fields.

 

New Web Tutorial Course: Advanced Dietary Data Analysis

The final course of the NHANES Dietary Tutorial was published online this Summer. Ever since the launch of the web tutorial for dietary data, users have been anticipating the release of its final course. The latest addition, Advanced Dietary Data Analyses, describes techniques for estimating usual intake of dietary and supplement intake, how dietary intakes vary among individuals, and how individual intakes relate to other factors. The project, led by the NCI team, was a collaborative efforts between NCI, NCHS and USDA. Prof. Janet A. Tooze from the Wake Forest School of Medicine is the lead author of this course.