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The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics' American Time Use Survey
(ATUS) collects information on how Americans spend their
time—on paid work, household activities, child care, recreation,
and numerous other activities. ATUS,
launched in January 2003, is a continuous, nationally representative
survey. In 2006, the most recent year for which data are available, about 13,000 individuals were interviewed. Respondents were asked to report their activities for the 24-hour period
from 4 a.m. on the day before the interview until 4 a.m. on
the interview day. 
In January 2006, ATUS included an Eating
and Health Module (EH Module) developed by ERS. The
module contains questions on whether respondents ate or drank while engaged in other
activities, such as driving or watching TV; general health,
height, and weight; participation in the Food Stamp Program;
children's consumption of meals obtained at day care,
school, or summer programs; grocery shopping and meal
preparation; and household income. Data derived from the module will enable
study of relationships between time use patterns and eating
patterns, nutrition, obesity, use of food stamps, and participation in children's school meal programs. A User's
Guide provides further information on data collection. The module was funded by ERS and the National Institutes of Health-National
Cancer Institute and is scheduled to run through 2008.
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