GREENSBORO, N.C. — The Center for Disease Control is conducting its annual National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, and Davidson County, North Carolina has been randomly selected as one of the counties the CDC will survey people from.
The CDC says the survey goes from January 31st through March 30, 2020. Participants selected will be asked a series of questions about their health, diet, and medical history. The survey also includes a physical exam, which comes at no cost to the participant. The CDC says this information is vital to determine the prevalence of major diseases and risk factors for disease on a larger scale.
The High Point Police Department posted to Facebook saying this survey from the CDC is very much real, but they want people in Davidson County to be on the lookout for potential scammers who may pose as CDC officials.
"DAVIDSON COUNTY has been randomly selected as one of the survey locations. This is a legitimate survey that is federally funded," the post said.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of scams out there," said Lt. Matt Truitt, HPPD's Community Engagement Supervisor. "So when you start getting random people showing up to your property saying they're with a federal agency, that can probably make people a little nervous."
"I just wanted to inform our community members that there could possibly be some people coming on your property with the CDC," Truitt said.
What to expect:
CDC interviewers will not show up without prior notice, CDC officials confirmed. First, Davidson County residents will receive an official CDC envelope with a letter, postcard, and a magnet inside with information about the survey, CDC officials said.
Examples of NHANES Letter and Badge 2020
Following the mail delivery, study representatives will travel door to door for an initial introduction with potential participants. They will present an identification badge and ask a few questions based on age, number of people that live in your household, race, and ethnicity, CDC's NHANES Study Coordinator in Davidson County Victor Barajas said.
"Then, based on this information, the algorithm is going to see if you get selected to participate," Barajas said.
If selected, two longer, more comprehensive exams will follow. The first, an in-person interview with CDC health officials, will ask questions about participants' medical history, diet, and exercise habits. The CDC says the survey will ask for your social security number, but participants are not obligated to give that information to do the survey.
"The questions deal more with health and nutrition," Barajas said, "that's what you can expect."
The second exam, a comprehensive medical evaluation, will be conducted in an NHANES medical vehicle. The second exam will involve heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sampling tests, as well as a survey with various health questions, according to the NHANES website.
The interview exam will take about an hour. The second exam is expected to take between 2 to 3 hours, CDC officials said.
The NHANES exam is voluntary. All questions can be refused, Barajas said.
Examiners will not, at any point, ask for payment or your credit card information.
The information participants provide remains confidential. The information about participants' health can be share with personal medical providers like doctors upon request, Barajas said.
"And just a reminder for anyone who might be nervous about participating," Barajas said, "the CDC has never had a data information breach."
The NHANES is the only annually conducted, in-person health survey in the United States, the CDC's website said. It is one of the most important studies the CDC conducts each year, Barajas said. In the past, NHANES resulted in new information on cholesterol, immunizations, obesity, and diet, to name a few.
"This information is essential to create health policy that affects all Americans," Barajas said.
For more information and to check your eligibility, visit NHANES' website.