Analysis of Cancer Risks in Populations Near Nuclear Facilities: Phase 1 (2012)
Chapter: Appendix L: Letter Template to State Vital Statistics Offices
Letter Template to State Vital Statistics Offices
Re: Committee on Analysis of Cancer Risks in Populations near Nuclear Facilities: Request for information on availability and release of birth records and mechanisms of linkage with cancer registries and death records.
Dear Director:
I am writing to request information about your office’s availability of birth records and the release criteria of those data for research purposes. Information about the accessibility of data will be used in support of a study being carried out by the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Analysis of Cancer Risks in Populations near Nuclear Facilities, at the request of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The Statement of Task related to the study is attached.
I would appreciate information on the following issues:
Census tract level:
- Year from which aggregated birth records data are available; release criteria for those data, and variables that can be released (e.g., age, race/ethnicity, gender, date of birth, number of siblings of index child).
Individual birth level:
- Year from which individual birth records are available, release criteria for those records, and variables that can be released (e.g., age, race/ethnicity, gender, date of birth, number of siblings, address and telephone number of parents at birth of the index child).
Policies and mechanisms:
- For review and approval of projects aiming to link birth, cancer incidence, and mortality data within the state and outside the state; matching criteria on which linkage is based.
- For contact of individuals identified via birth records, especially minors and/or their families.
We would also like to know about additional information that your office may collect for individual births, such as birth defects reported after the birth certificate is filed, and any other information you think might be relevant to a national study of pediatric cancer incidence within a birth cohort of children living near nuclear facilities.
Any information you provide to us by December 15, 2011 will be considered in support of the study. Please note that all written information that you provide will be included in the Public Access File for this study.
If you have questions about this request or would prefer to respond by phone I would be happy to contact you. I can be reached at email: kcrowley@nas.edu or phone: 202 334 3066.
| Sincerely, | |||
| Kevin Crowley Study Director |
