JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — A major health survey for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey is now underway in Jefferson County.
According to the CDC, NHANES is the only nationally representative survey that combines free medical examinations with in-depth health interviews to assess the health and nutritional status of all people living in the United States.
This survey is conducted inside a mobile examination center, which travels nationwide to collect data that informs critical public health policies and programs, including dietary guidelines, chronic disease research, and environmental health protections.
“The survey has been around for over 60 years now, and for over 60 years, it's been monitoring the health and nutrition of adults and children across the United States,” Jenna Green-Ross, community outreach associate for the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, told Denver7 this week.
She said participating households go through a rigorous process before they can take part in the survey where they'll receive a free health exam.
Green-Ross said 650 households in Jefferson County were selected this time around, representing around 60,000 people across the U.S.
"We survey about 5,000 people each year, and there are over 300 million people in the country. So, their data is very important to helping us develop health policies and health recommendations, because that helps us get a good snapshot of the nation's health,” Green-Ross said. "“For example, the pediatric growth chart that some parents might be familiar with from taking their children to the pediatrician — that data actually comes from this study.”
From inside the mobile exam center, medical professionals can conduct several different tests including dental exams, blood draws, bone density scans, and more.
Green-Ross said if the examinations reveal health issues that the patient wasn’t aware of, they provide referral sheets for community health services nearby for follow-up care.
The mobile exam center will be in Arvada through September.
