The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention selected Bergen County to be part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, offering 600 randomly selected households the opportunity to participate.
These households will receive letters asking them to complete a brief survey to see if anyone in their home is eligible to participate, according to the CDC.
Those chosen to participate will have an interview in their home, followed by a health screening at a mobile testing center located in the Paramus Municipal Pool parking lot.
The mobile unit is equipped to collect information on height, weight, blood pressure, body composition, vision, hearing, oral health, breathing and much more. Specific exams depend on the age and gender of the participant, according to the CDC.
The information collected is used by public health officials and legislators to develop targeted health policies and programs.
“NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) serves as a nationwide ‘health checkup’ by going into communities across the country to collect health information,” Dr. Carolyn Greene, acting director of the National Center for Health Statistics, said in a press release.
Each year, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey travels the country and collects data from 5,000 randomly selected participants in 20 locations. The survey collects data on everything from chemicals people are exposed to in their environments to tracking health conditions like diabetes and heart disease.
Survey participants receive compensation for all transportation and child or adult care costs, as well as “a generous token of appreciation for their time.”
They also get test results that can be shared with their healthcare professional.
The investigation is currently ongoing in Bergen County until mid-December. Residents in the area are encouraged to check to see if they have received a letter.
Gn Health
