With four semi trailers in place at the former Trigg County School Bus Garage, the United States Center for Disease Control is preparing to begin to sample to population of Trigg County for a study to assess the health of the nation as a whole.

Study Manager Jacque DeMatteis took The Cadiz Record on a tour of the mobile testing facility, from the moment a testing volunteer enters, until the battery had been completed.

DeMatteis said that every volunteer checks in at the trailer on the left-hand side of the parking lot, and will be issued an identification bracelet, similar to hospitals. “We start with visual testing, to measure eyesight. Those with corrective lenses will be checked to see if their prescription is right.”

Volunteers will be tested for lung capacity on spirometry equipment. Those with a low volume may receive inhaled medications for a better measurement on lung capacity, and if they have any disorders limiting this. DeMatteis said that blood pressure might be measured on some volunteers in the first trailer, along with weights and measurements for each.

“Some people who come in during morning sessions may be asked to drink Trutol, which tests for glucose tolerance, which relates to diabetes,” said DeMatteis.

Find ongoing coverage of NHANES testing by reading The Cadiz Record.