Field issues for the plan and operation of the laboratory component of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

The design of the laboratory component of a mobile examination survey such as the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey requires that the physical limitation of the mobile examination center be balanced against the requirements of the laboratory analyses needed to fulfill the goals of the survey. In order to include an analysis in the survey, the scientific merit of the laboratory test must be established and a consensus must be reached on the appropriateness of the technology for the six years of the survey. The public health importance of the analysis and the subsequent results are also evaluated before inclusion into the laboratory protocol. Finally, the feasibility of incorporating the analysis into the protocol is reviewed. The laboratory component of NHANES III is discussed, addressing these points with descriptions of the reasons for inclusion and exclusion of key analytes.