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Portable Generators: Self-Reported Ownership for Use during Power Outages by County, New Jersey, 2014-2016

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Portable Generators: Self-Reported Ownership for Use during Power Outages by County, New Jersey, 2014-2016

Why Is This Important?

Little is known about the percentage of NJ residents who have purchased portable generators for use during power outages. Portable back-up generators produce colorless odorless carbon monoxide (CO) gas which can sicken or kill residents if generator exhaust is not properly vented. CO poisoning claims the lives of hundreds of people every year and makes thousands more ill. Important guidelines: PORTABLE GENERATORS: * Never use a generator inside your home or garage, even if doors and windows are open. * Only use generators outside, more than 20 feet away from your home, doors, and windows. CO DETECTORS: * Install battery-operated or battery back-up CO detectors near every sleeping area in your home. * Check CO detectors regularly to be sure they are functioning properly.

Definition

Percent of NJ residents who self-report owning at least one portable generator for use to provide electricity to their home during a power outage.

Data Notes

Survey Question: "Do you own at least one portable generator which you plan to use to provide energy to your home during a power outage: yes; no; don't know/not sure?".

Data Source

Behavioral Risk Factor Survey, Center for Health Statistics, New Jersey Department of Health
(http://www.nj.gov/health/chs/njbrfs/)

How the Measure is Calculated

  • Numerator:

    Number of people age 18 years and older self-reporting owning at least one portable generator for use to provide electricity to their home during a power outage.

  • Denominator:

    Total number of persons aged 18 and older interviewed during the same survey period.

Data Issues

Data from the New Jersey Behavioral Risk Factor Survey are intended to be representative of all non-institutionalized adult residents of New Jersey. Due to resource issues, however, adults with limited personal access to phone service or limited command of either English or Spanish are not represented. As with all surveys, also, some error results from nonresponse (e.g., refusal to participate in the survey or to answer specific questions), and faulty measurement (e.g., responses affected by social desirability or recall error). Data collection procedures intended to minimize such errors include the use of strict calling protocols, good questionnaire design, standardization of interviewer behavior, interviewer training, and frequent, on-site interviewer monitoring and supervision. Statistical weighting procedures are also used to minimize the potential impact of disproportionate representation of demographic subgroups defined in terms of age, sex, race, ethnicity, education level, marital status, home ownership, and county of residence. (See also [[a href="query/BRFSSQueryTechNotes.html" Behavioral Risk Factor Survey Data Description and Technical Notes]].)

Related Risk Factors Indicators:

Related Health Status Outcomes Indicators:

Health Topic Pages Related to: Portable Generators: Self-Reported Ownership for Use during Power Outages

Indicator Data Last Updated On 02/06/2020, Published on 05/24/2024
Environmental Public Health Tracking Project, New Jersey Department of Health, PO Box 369, Trenton, NJ 08625-0369, e-mail: nj.epht@doh.nj.gov (https://www.nj.gov/health/epht)