[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 243 (Thursday, December 18, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70510-70511]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-31187]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30Day-10-04]


Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and 
Recommendations

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes a 
list of information collection requests under review by the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). To request a copy of these requests, call 
the CDC Reports Clearance Officer at (404) 498-1210. Send written 
comments to CDC, Desk Officer, Human Resources and Housing Branch, New 
Executive Office Building, Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503 or by fax 
to (202) 395-6974. Written comments should be received within 30 days 
of this notice.
    Proposed Project: NCHS Questionnaire Design Research Laboratory 
(OMB No. 0920-0222)--Revision--National Center for Health Statistics 
(NCHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The NCHS 
Questionnaire Design Research Laboratory (QDRL) conducts questionnaire 
pre-testing and evaluation activities for CDC surveys (such as the NCHS 
National Health Interview Survey) and other federally sponsored 
surveys. The most common questionnaire evaluation method is the 
cognitive interview. In a cognitive interview, a questionnaire design 
specialist interviews a volunteer participant. The interviewer 
administers the draft survey questions as written, probes the 
participant in depth about interpretations of questions, recall 
processes used to answer questions and adequacy of response categories 
to express answers, while noting points of confusion and errors in 
responding.
    Interviews are generally conducted in small rounds of 12 
interviews; the questionnaire is re-worked between rounds, and 
revisions are tested iteratively until interviews yield relatively few 
new insights. When possible, cognitive interviews are conducted in the 
survey's intended mode of administration. For example, when testing 
telephone survey questionnaires, participants often respond to the 
questions via a telephone in a laboratory room. This method forces the 
participant to answer without face-to-face interaction, yet it still 
allows QDRL staff to observe response difficulties, and to conduct a 
face-to-face debriefing. Five types of activities will be carried out: 
(1) Survey questionnaire development and testing based on cognitive 
interviewing methodology; (2) Research on the cognitive aspects of 
survey methodology; (3) Research on computer-user interface design for 
computer-assisted instruments, also known as usability testing; (4) 
Pilot household interviews; and (5) Studies of the optimal design and 
presentation of statistical, graphical and textual materials.
    In general, cognitive interviewing provides useful data on 
questionnaire performance at minimal cost and respondent burden (note 
that respondents receive remuneration for their travel and effort). 
Similar methodology has been adopted by other federal agencies, as well 
as by academic and commercial survey organizations. The estimated 
annualized burden for this data collection is 600 hours. CDC is 
requesting OMB approval of this data collection for 3 years.

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                                                                                     Number of    Average burden
                 Anticipated 2004-2007 projects                      Number of     responses per   per response
                                                                    respondents     respondent      (in hours)
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QDRL Laboratory Interviews:
    (1) National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) modules.........             100               1            1.25

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    (2) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey                     50               1            1.25
     (BRFSS)....................................................
    (3) Healthy People 2010 (HP 2010)...........................              50               1            1.25
    (4) National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG).................              50               1            1.25
    (5) Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS).....              50               1            1.25
    (6) National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey                      50               1            1.25
     (NHANES)...................................................
    (7) Other questionnaire testing:
        2004....................................................             100               1            1.25
        2005....................................................             100               1            1.25
        2006....................................................             100               1            1.25
    (8) Perceptions of Quality of Life project..................              80               1            1.25
    (9) Perceptions of Confidentiality Project..................              50               1            1.25
    (10) Perception of Statistical Maps Project.................              50               1            1.25
    (11) General Methodological Research........................             100               1            1.25
    Pilot Household Interviews:
        2004 NHIS Modules.......................................              50               1            1.25
        2005 NHIS Modules.......................................              50               1            1.25
        2006 NHIS Modules.......................................              50               1            1.25
    Focus Groups (10 groups of 10 for three years)..............             300               1            1.50
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    Dated: December 8, 2003.
Alvin Hall,
Director, Management Analysis and Services Office, Centers for Disease 
Control And Prevention.
[FR Doc. 03-31187 Filed 12-17-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P