[Federal Register: October 28, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 208)]
[Notices]
[Page 62121-62122]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28oc05-45]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[60Day-06-05CY]
Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and
Recommendations
In compliance with the requirement of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 for opportunity for public comment on
proposed data collection projects, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects.
To request more information on the proposed projects or to obtain a
copy of the data collection plans and instruments, call 404-639-4766
and send comments to Seleda Perryman, CDC Assistant Reports Clearance
Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D74, Atlanta, GA 30333 or send an e-mail
to omb@cdc.gov.
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents,
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other
forms of information technology. Written comments should be received
within 60 days of this notice.
Proposed Project
Survey of Illness and Injury Among Backcountry Users in Yellowstone
National Park--New--Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
National Center for Infectious Diseases (NCID).
There are limited data on the risk factors for illness and injury
among persons who travel into backcountry areas of the United States.
The backcountry encompasses primitive or wilderness areas that lack
most facilities and services and that are reached primarily by hiking,
boating, or horseback. In general, backcountry users must bring in
their own supplies (such as shelter, food, water, or water treatment
supplies). As many as 68% to 82% of long-distance hikers and
backpackers have reported experiencing illnesses or injuries during
their time in the backcountry. For example, 4% to 56% have reported
gastrointestinal illnesses and 41% to 62% have reported musculoskeletal
injuries.
Such a high burden of illness and injury has significant medical
and economic implications given the increasing popularity of
backcountry use. In 1994-95, almost 8% of Americans age 16 years and
older (about 15 million persons) went backpacking in the previous 12
months, which involved camping for one or more nights along a trail and
carrying food, shelter, and utensils with them. In the same period of
time, about 14% (or 28 million persons) camped in primitive settings
that usually lacked restrooms, hookups, and most facilities and
services. In fact, camping in backcountry areas increased by about 72%
from 1982-83 to 1994-95. While people can travel in the backcountry in
many locations and on both private and public lands, many travelers
hike, backpack, and camp in the backcountry in national parks. In 2003,
there were over 266 million recreational visits to national parks with
over 1.8 million overnight stays in the backcountry. Yellowstone
National Park alone had almost 19,690 persons visit the backcountry in
2003, accounting for over 46,000 overnight stays.
Because little is known about health outcomes for visitors who use
the backcountry areas of our nation's parks, advice to park managers
and the public is currently general in nature, based only on standard
disease prevention principles. Furthermore, some outdoor use groups
have recently questioned some of this standard advice, such as the
universal need for careful filtration and disinfection of backcountry
drinking water. This study will investigate behavioral and
environmental risk factors that may be associated with illness and
injury among persons who require park permits to travel into
backcountry areas in Yellowstone National Park during the backcountry
season from May 1-Oct. 31, 2006. The data collected will be used to
provide an estimate of the burden of illness and injury among
backcountry users and will also provide information about a variety of
risk factors for illness and injury in the backcountry, including the
risks associated with drinking untreated water from lakes and streams.
With this information, the National Park Service (NPS) will be able to
address
[[Page 62122]]
many of the questions raised by outdoor users and public health
officials, and improve and strengthen evidence-based NPS guidelines for
backcountry health and sanitation practices. To gather this
information, consent to contact after the conclusion of the backcountry
trip will be obtained from an estimated 7,000 backcountry users 18
years of age or older when they present to the Yellowstone National
Park's permit offices prior to entering the backcountry. A
questionnaire (in either Internet-based or paper-based format) will
then be offered to an estimated 5,600 backcountry users who consent to
be contacted. Participants will be asked about their health (before,
during and after backcountry travel), water consumption, water
preparation habits, food consumption, food preparation habits,
sanitation practices, recreational water use, animal exposure, and
demographics.
This study is the beginning of what will be an ongoing effort to
improve the scientific basis of NPS recommendations and policies
related to protecting human health in the backcountry. This effort
seeks to begin to identify disease transmission pathways and assess
disease and injury risks associated with specific activities, choices,
and behaviors of backcountry visitors, such as water purification,
sanitation practices, and hygiene. Thoroughly understanding
transmission pathways and the interactions of agent, environment, and
host will enable the NPS to effectively and efficiently improve visitor
protection efforts.
There will be no cost to or remuneration of respondents other than
their time. Their participation is voluntary and there will be no
penalty for non-participation.
Estimate of Annualized Burden Table
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Number
Number of responses Hrs/ Total
Respondents Form name respondents per response response
respondent (in hours) burden hours
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Backcountry Users of Yellowstone Consent to Further 7000 1 2/60 233
Park. Contact.
Web-Based Questionnaire 5600 1 15/60 1400
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Total................ ........... .......... .......... 1633
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Dated: October 21, 2005.
Betsey Dunaway,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 05-21540 Filed 10-27-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P