NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is in Northeast Florida, teaming up with locals for a national health survey designed to improve medical recommendations.
The CDC’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) travels across America to 20 locations and randomly selects 5,000 participants via census data for its health survey.
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Nassau and Clay counties won the luck of the draw. The CDC has set up a mobile exam center in Yulee in Nassau County.
Depending on a participant’s age and sex they run a battery of tests from bone density to blood pressure. The goal?
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“To update blood pressure guidelines, cholesterol guidelines, and pediatric growth charts, as well as a wealth of other standard,” spokesperson Alexa Ortiz said.
Ortiz said while the selection process is random and the sample size broad, the goal is to have data that directly impacts you.
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“So when you go see your doctor, you want to make sure that the blood pressure guideline they are recommending you have is accurate of the health of the United States” Ortiz said.
The data is also used to determine how common major diseases and behaviors that increase the risk of death and injury are, and to drive public health policy.
Because the NHANES survey is by selection only, they’d like your participation. They’ll cover travel, childcare costs, and compensate you. NHANES reaches out to selected participants via mail then by door knocking. They plan to knock on 500 doors in Clay and Nassau counties.
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