Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-08-29
MILLION FAMILIES
IN HEALTH CENSUS
Exact State of WelI.Being
to BE Learned by Aid
of U. S. Fund.

One million American families are
TO be put under g. statistical micro
scope in the biggest health census
ever undertaken. With $3,450,000
allotment made to the Treasury De-
partment, house-to-house visits will
be paid under the direction of the
Public Health Service as a Federal
Works project.
In this way it is hoped to find out
the exact state of the peoples health.
The job will give employment to 3,400
hite-collar workers in professional
and technical grades. now on relief
a class for whom it has been prob
lem to find useful tasks. Women as
well as men will be engaged in the
undertaking.
Described officially as a health in
ventory," its specific object is to make
a survey of current illness, chronic
diseases and physical impairments."
The facts and figures will present for
the first time a large picture of just
what time out from work because Of
illness means in dollars and cents to
the Nation.
Besides the door-to-door canvass,
and children under scrutiny, records of
sick benefit associations (whose men,
bers are mostly industrial workers.
and hospitals will be tabulated. In
city hospital records are hidden, it is
believed, many interesting things
about the geographical distribution of
the various types of chronic disease.
Facts to Be Revealing.
The ouse-to-house calls should be
revealing. The precise state of health
of 100000 persons, young and old,
in their family groupings, will show
just how much we are. or should be,
in the hands of the doctor The Pub
lie Health Service will also, at last,
have an extensive bird's-eye view of
just how much occupation and hous-
ing conditions have to do with making
people i'll. 1t will learn just how much
time is lost from work because of
chronic diseases-something about
which we are now in almost complete
ignorance.
A number of families canvassed, Sc
iected as representative of the gen.
eral population, will receive physical
examinations.
The Public Health Service has, for
several years. made intensive studies
Of the importance and effect of ILL
ness on the capacity of the patient
and family to remain self-supporting,
and the projected health inventory
will produce mass of additional in
formation for the statisticians to pore
over
Information about chronic diseases
Is much needed for determining the
relative prevalence of various types of
these diseases, their variation with
geographical location, age, sex and
occupation, and in particular the ex-
tent Of disability and unemployment
caused by chronic diseases, and re-
sulting physical impairments. The
whole problem is becoming increas-
ingly important with the gradual rise
In the percentage of the population
over so years of age.
States to Be Surveyed.
The health inventory" will be made
ln Massachusetts,, New York, New Jer-
sey Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania,
Ohio, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana,
Texas, Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois,
Missouri, Utah, California, Oregon
and Washington. These States have
been selected to give fair geographic
cal distribution. They also happen
10 be States where sick benefit asso-
citation statistics are available. No
locality will be included in the study
without the approval of city officials
ana State and local health depart
nents. Certain cities, smaller towns
and rural areas will be selected as
fields of operation.
The project director is George St.
John Perrott, who will work under
the general supervision Of. Assistant
Surgeon General L. r. Thompson,
chief of the Scientific Research Divi-
sion Of the Public Health Service
The 10 States will be divided into
i've regions, each in charge Of
supervisor working under a field d.
rector Under these will be State and
city supervisors. Area and State
supervisors will meet in Detroit Sep
tember 30 for weeks intensive train
ing for the survey. BY october IS it
Is hoped, the survey will be completely
under way. Administrative headquar-
tiers will probably be in Detroit.
When all the figures are in, the
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