Turlock is part of a statewide health survey. There will be 800 Stanislaus County households involved.

What is being heralded as the "largest health survey ever conducted in California" has been under way for a couple of weeks and is targeting, "the health status of the state's diverse and emerging populations."

"It is historical in scope and existence. In the past 10 years, there are many wanting a comprehensive health survey of the state population so we'll be able to say something down to the county level," said Dr. Charles DiSogra, director of the California Health Interview Survey.

"In the past, we have had limited size samples," DiSogra said in a telephone interview with The Journal, Thursday. "We would never be able to say anything about counties or sub groups," DiSogra said.

David Jones, Public Information Officer for the Stanislaus County Health Services Agency (HSA) said that group welcomes the survey results, and the soon to be available federal census figures to help in the county's health planning.

With a history of collaborative involvement with its communities, the HSA has been able to identify needs of diverse communities and population groups. "We are hoping that the new survey will provide more information we can use to target services and meet community needs," Jones said.

Jones pointed to development of services to serve the southeast Asian community and other sectors of the Stanislaus community as examples of how HSA has worked collaboratively.

"Combined with our existing pool of information, these can be powerful tools in meeting changing needs in the community," Jones said. "A survey that is well conducted can bring better information on the needs of the local community." Jones says.

"We've seen that the needs of some people stay the same over time and other needs change. But, if you're not staying in touch with people, you won't know where the changing needs are."

The CHS is seeking information from approximately 55,000 households statewide. It was developed as a collaborative undertaking of the University of California Los Angeles Center for Health Policy Research, California Department of Health Services.

"It was designed to get adequate samples. We have 800 cases in Stanislaus County alone. It will be done by telephone survey, randomly generated by computers which will call the numbers," DiSogra said. (He said the 800 households will be proportionately distributed throughout the county, with a proportional sample pretty much along how the county's population is distributed).

"There will be a 30-minute interview, inquiring of health status, health condition, exercise, cancer screening, health insurance care, etc.," DiSogra said.

There will be additional questions related to adolescent health care in the home and if parental permission is obtained, there is a 20-minute telephone survey with an adolescent from the home.

The process then moves down to the level of children in the home which is addressed by a 15-minute telephone survey with a child in the home. DiSogra said the line of questioning with the child will have to do with care, care arrangements and health issues in general.

Realizing a stop date at the end of June, there will be an attempt to call back for a more convenient time and an attempt to complete everyone pulled into the sampling process. The survey is being completed in seven languages, including languages used in this region.

"In the past, organizations would do a small group in a small area. This one is doing all languages, the same languages at the same time. Individuals are having their voice heard on health care," DiSogra said.

"Our goal is to sample all ethnic groups. It took a lot of political will power and the right advocates. It is supposed to be repeated every year and is to be tracked for the future. It's larger than national surveys. Federal agencies are very interested in it," DiSogra said.

DiSogra said he wanted to stress the confidential nature of the survey and that no identifying information would ever be published or publicly released. Strict procedures have been developed to protect the privacy of all survey respondents.

Funding for the survey is provided by the CDHS, The National Cancer Institute, federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the California Children and Families Commission and the Indian Health Service at a cost of $11 million. Results are anticipated by year's end.

Reprinted by permission of The Turlock Journal.