Welcome to NHANES Brochure

WELCOME
Attachment 13e
For more information visit:
www.cdc.gov/nhanes

Congratulations

on being chosen to take part in the
National Health and Nutrition Examination
Survey, or NHANES.

You may also call toll free
(English or Spanish) at: 1-800-452-6115

Does my information stay private?
Yes, your information stays private. The
law requires that we keep your information
private!

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We combine the information of everyone
in the study. This gives us a good picture
of the health of people in the U.S. while
protecting your privacy.
We do not share your name, address, phone
number, or health information with anyone
outside the study.
The National Center for Health Statistics is
America’s leading health statistics agency.
We have a lot of experience protecting
people’s privacy.
Taking part in the survey does not affect
government benefits you or your household
may receive, such as Medicare, Medicaid,
Social Security, Social Security Disability, or
food stamps.

What is NHANES?
NHANES is one of our nation’s greatest
resources! It is how we learn about the health
and nutrition of adults and children in the
United States.

Thank you for helping to improve
the health of everyone in the
United States!

For more than 60 years, thousands of people
like you have been part of NHANES. The
information NHANES gathers has helped
improve our country’s health. It showed us

• What chemicals in food and gasoline were
harming people’s health.
What
a healthy growth rate is for babies
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and children.
• How many people in the U.S. have high blood
pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.

Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention
National Center for
Health Statistics

The National Center for Health Statistics at the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
runs the study.

Why do I need to do all the steps?

Why did you choose me?

STEP 2

You live in one of just 15 cities and counties
that NHANES will visit this year. We cannot
go to every house in the U.S., so we randomly
choose which ones to talk with. Your household is one of a few selected in your community, and no one else can take your place.

Talk to us by phone. We will call to ask
about:
your health,
any health problems you have, such as
diabetes or asthma, and
what you eat (your diet).

What do I need to do?

STEP 3

Taking part in NHANES is easy. If you have
already completed some of these steps,
thank you!

Visit our mobile health center for a brief
medical exam.

STEP 1
Find out who in your home can participate.
Take 5 minutes to answer questions on our
website or talk to someone from NHANES
on the phone. You can also fill out a paper
questionnaire and mail it back to us in the
envelope we send you, or talk with one of
our representatives in person.

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We arrange for you to get to our health
center. We pay your travel costs.
We pay for childcare or eldercare while
you are at the health center.
We give you a small token of our thanks
for your time.
We mail you the results of your medical
exam. You can share the results with
your doctor.

Each step of the study is important. When
you do all the steps, we have complete information from you and everyone in the study.
This makes our data more reliable.

1. When you filled out the questionnaire about your home, we
learned a little bit about you.

2. When you do the phone interview, we learn more about your
health but may still be missing
important information.

3. During the health exam at our
mobile center, we measure your
height, weight, and blood pressure. We also do a blood test and
ask for a urine sample. Now we
have very accurate information
that will help us and you!