Developing a Household Health Survey to Investigate the Health Status of a Community Located Above a Contaminated Groundwater Plume

BACKGROUND:  

The state health department has been working with a Community Advisory Group (CAG) for Health to address health concerns related to vapor intrusion from groundwater contamination. There was a need to understand whether there are health outcomes occurring more frequently than expected, in particular those living above the groundwater contamination. The state health department summarized health data for the community using existing data sets (vital statistics, hospitalizations, cancer, birth defects), in comparison  to the state and six surrounding towns. The CAG felt additional measures were needed to address their remaining environmental health concerns. With advisement from the CAG, the state health department responded by developing a Household Health Survey.

METHODS:  

The Household Health Survey was designed to determine rates of chronic health conditions among current and former members of current households. This choice of population allowed for a definable denominator while capturing data on a subset of former residents. Health questions included in the household health survey were selected from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). All current households in the groundwater contamination area were mailed a postcard announcing the survey and its goals, followed by a letter explaining the details of the survey. Trained interviewers from the state health department called those households with available phone numbers; follow-up mailings were sent to those difficult to contact or without listed telephone numbers. For those households agreeing to participate, interviewers spoke with one representative per household and collected names, birth dates, dates of residence, and health question responses for both the representative and current and former household members. Age-adjusted percentages of diseases were calculated for each disease condition and compared to NHIS values.

RESULTS:  

Of the 455 eligible households, 173 households (38%) participated and completed the survey, while 70 households (15%) refused to participate. A total of 212 households (47%) could not be reached or did not respond. The presentation will discuss the findings of the Household Health Survey in comparison to NHIS. Percentages of most chronic health conditions were similar to NHIS, though some were higher or lower, indicating the survey’s success at measuring disease rates in the community. Findings will also be compared to those from the existing state health department data sets, where applicable.

CONCLUSIONS:  

The Household Health Survey was successful in estimating percentages of chronic health conditions among the survey participants. Collaborative efforts with CAG addressed environmental health concerns of the community.