Table 1.
Study characteristics and data types that may contribute to re-identification risk in selected environmental health studies.
| Study | Study characteristics | Data types | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus on specific locationsa | Family members in studyb | Medical data | Genetic data | Occupation data | Housing datac | Exposure data from biological samples | Exposure data from home/personal environment samples | |
| Agricultural Health Study. Private pesticide applicators and their spouses in Iowa and North Carolina; licensed pesticide applicators in Iowa. | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
| American Healthy Homes Survey. Representative sample of U.S. homes 2005–2006. | — | — | — | — | x | x | — | x |
| Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Program (BCERP) Puberty Study. Girls recruited at 6–8 years of age in New York City, California Bay Area, and Greater Cincinnati. | x | — | x | x | — | — | x | — |
| California Teachers Study. Current and former female public school teachers or administrators. | x | — | x | x | x | — | x | — |
| CHAMACOS Study. Mothers and children in Salinas Valley, CA. | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
| Green Housing Study. Children with physician-diagnosed asthma living in public housing in greater Boston, Cincinnati, and New Orleans. | x | — | x | — | — | x | x | x |
| Gulf Long Term Follow-up (GuLF) Study. Participants in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill cleanup or training. | x | — | x | x | x | x | x | x |
| National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Nationally representative sample of the U.S. population, collected from specific locations in each two-year cycle. | — | — | x | x | x | x | x | — |
| Pesticide and Chemical Exposure (PACE) Study. Residents of urban MA and rural FL neighborhoods. | x | — | — | — | x | x | — | x |
| Relationships of Indoor, Outdoor, and Personal Air (RIOPA). Adults and children in Elizabeth, NH; Houston, TX; and Los Angeles, CA. | x | x | x | — | x | x | — | x |
| Silent Spring Institute Household Exposure Study (HES). Residents in Cape Cod, MA, and Bolinas, CA, and Richmond, CA. | x | — | — | — | x | x | x | x |
| Sister Study. Women (cancer-free at enrollment) with a sister diagnosed with breast cancer. | — | — | x | x | x | x | x | x |
Note: —, not a study characteristic or a data type collected in the study.
One enrollment criterion was living or working in a publicly defined geographic area. In addition, NHANES samples from 15 locations per year, although these locations are not intended to be a focus of study.
The study enrolled family members as part of its study design. Additional studies, for example NHANES and the Sister Study, allow enrollment of multiple members of the same family.
Characteristics of participants' homes, such as number or type of rooms; square footage; year built; information about heating, ventilation, and air conditioning; presence of certain furnishings or appliances, etc.