The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #46858

Margaret Warner, PhD¹, Melissa A. Heinen, MPH¹, Patricia Barnes, MA², and Lois Fingerhut, MA¹. (1) Office of Analysis, Epidemiology and Health Promotion, NCHS/CDC, 6525 Belcrest Road, Room 750, Hyattsville, MD 20782, 301-458-4556, mwarner@cdc.gov, (2) Division of Health Interview Statistics, NCHS/CDC, 6525 Belcrest Road, Room 875, Hyattsville, MD 20782

In 2000, the injury and poisoning section of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) was revised after analyzing the data and reviewing the feedback from data users, data processors and field interviewers. Revisions to the survey included combining questions on injuries and poisonings; shortening the introduction to the section; adding a question regarding the location of medical treatment; further defining items in the help screens; and tailoring the response categories for some questions. During the revisions, an inadvertent change to wording of a key question was made. The annual number of injury episodes reported has been decreasing since 1997 with the largest drop between 1999 and 2000. In 1997, 34.4 million episodes of injury and poisoning were reported, 34.0 million in 1998, 31.3 million in 1999, and 26.4 million in 2000. Preliminary data from 2001 suggest the estimates are consistent with 2000 even with the question worded appropriately. The percent distribution was consistent across the years for cause, nature, body region, age and sex. It is likely that the decrease in reported injuries during 2000 was related to the method of surveillance. Although the decrease was not anticipated, each modification was considered in light of the tradeoff between continuity of the data and requests for revisions. The survey instrument should be continually examined to ensure that it provides reliable and valid surveillance of injuries and poisonings in the United States. The merits and limitations of the revisions and the plans for modifying the section will be discussed.

Learning Objectives:

• At the conclusion of this paper, participants will understand the questionnaire design of the injury and poisoning section of the National Health Interview Survey; will be able to describe the correspondence between the design changes and the annual estimates; and will be able to appreciate the need for ongoing surveillance of non-fatal injury.

Keywords: Injuries, Surveillance

Related Web page: www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis.htm

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: National Center for Health Statistics
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.