Data gathering for BH/NCD pilot survey halfway done

Data gathering for the pilot, hybrid health survey that has been in the works since early this year, is now halfway finished.

According to the CNMI Department of Commerce, they will be conducting the field data collection for the Behavioral Health/Non-Communicable Disease Hybrid Survey until the end of March.

They are now 42 percent done with the collection of needed data on Saipan, 55 percent on Tinian, and 63 percent on Rota.

The sample size of the survey is 900 on Saipan and 130 each for Rota and Tinian. There are about 10 data collectors on Saipan, two on Tinian, and three on Rota.

Commerce, who is partnering with the Division of Public Health for the project, said that they are looking at May for the completion of the project, after their coding and data entry, data processing and tabulation phase.

The department is seeking the cooperation, understanding, and patience of the residents as they aim to complete the survey.

“We cannot do this without the help of the community and their cooperation. We ask humbly that when our enumerators come by, take some time out of their busy lives to assist us,” Commerce Secretary Mark Rabauliman said.

He noted that the survey will be instrumental in the future health-related endeavors in the CNMI.

“The end result of this survey is going to really help the policy makers, the decisions makers and also give us a picture of the state of our health in the CNMI as a whole,” Rabauliman said.

Rabauliman also stressed the importance of the survey to the rest of the Micronesia region as well.

“This is a combination of two types of surveys. To be quite frank, it’s a first of its kind,” Rabauliman said, “We’re taking the lead on it that’s why I emphasize the help of the community. From this, they’ll take it to other areas of the Micronesian area,” Rabauliman said.

The survey takes questions from both the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the World Health Organization for the NCD part of the survey, making it hybrid.

DPH earlier said that an epidemiologist will assist with the analysis and will analyze the data and develop a report. They will use the information collected to tailor programs for the CNMI.

They will also be planning on conducting the survey consistently every three, four, or five years so that they will be able to track data overtime and know whether things are getting better or worse, or certain problems are emerging in the Commonwealth’s health.