[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 73 (Tuesday, April 15, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20296-20297]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-7973]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-08-0572]


Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and 
Recommendations

    In compliance with the requirement of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 for opportunity for public comment on 
proposed data collection projects, the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC) will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects. 
To request more information on the proposed projects or to obtain a 
copy of the data collection plans and instruments, call 404-639-5960 
and send comments to Maryam I. Daneshvar, CDC Acting Reports Clearance 
Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D74, Atlanta, GA 30333 or send an e-mail 
to [email protected].
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways 
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology. Written comments should be received 
within 60 days of this notice.

Proposed Project

    Health Message Testing System, 0920--0572--Revision--National 
Center for Health Marketing (NCHM), Coordinating Center for Health 
Information and Service (CCHIS), Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    The National Center for Health Marketing (NCHM) was established as 
part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Futures 
Initiative to help ensure that health information, interventions, and 
programs at CDC are based on sound science, objectivity, and continuous 
customer input.
    Before CDC disseminates a health message to the public, the message 
always undergoes scientific review. However, reflecting the current 
state of scientific knowledge accurately provides no guarantee that the 
public will understand a health message or that the message will move 
people to take recommended action. Communication theorists and 
researchers agree that for health messages to be as clear and 
influential as possible, target audience members or representatives 
must be involved in developing the messages and provisional versions of 
the messages must be tested with members of the target audience.
    However, increasingly there are circumstances when CDC must move 
swiftly to protect life, prevent disease, or calm public anxiety. 
Health message testing is even more important in these instances, 
because of the critical nature of the information need. Consider the 
following situations:
    CDC must communicate about a hazard, outbreak, or other emergency 
that presents an urgent threat to one or more segments of the public. 
The national crisis in which anthrax spores contaminated mail, postal 
facilities, and congressional buildings is a striking example.
    CDC receives a mandate from Congress with a tight deadline for 
communicating with the public about a specific topic. For example, in 
1998 Congress gave CDC 120 days to develop and test messages for a 
public information campaign about Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium that 
can cause stomach ulcers and increase cancer risk if an infected 
individual is not treated with antibiotics.
    Emerging lifestyle or technological trends create an ephemeral 
opportunity to leverage the attention or behavior of the public to 
increase the reach and/or salience of prevention messages. For example, 
media monitoring reveals a partnership between Napster, a music-based 
web site, and the Pennsylvania State University. This partnership 
creates an ample opportunity for CDC to join in the collaboration to 
reach students with a salient health promotion message. For instance, a 
ticker found on the top of the Napster homepage screen might contain an 
informational URL followed by a message encouraging students, 
especially those residing in dormitories, to receive the meningitis 
inoculation series at their campus health center. This message would be 
tailored prior to the beginning of each academic year and would need to 
be posted in a timely manner before the arrival of the incoming 
freshman class.
    Of equal importance, this communication mechanism can be 
effectively used in emergency ``rapid response'' situations such as the 
campus shooting incidents at Virginia Tech and North Illinois 
University.
    In the interest of timely health message dissemination, many 
programs forgo the important step of testing messages on dimensions 
such as clarity, salience, appeal, and persuasiveness (i.e., the 
ability to influence behavioral intention). Skipping this step avoids 
the delay involved in the standard OMB review process, but at a high 
potential

[[Page 20297]]

cost. Untested messages can waste communication resources and 
opportunities because the messages can be perceived as unclear or 
irrelevant. Untested messages can also have unintended consequences, 
such as jeopardizing the credibility of Federal health officials.
    There is no cost to the respondents other than their time.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                                     Number of    Average burden
             Data collection method                  Number of     responses per   per response    Total burden
                                                    respondents     respondent      (in hours)         hours
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Central Location Intercept Interviews...........             300              12            5/60             300
Telephone Interviews............................             300              12            4/60             240
Individual In-depth Interview (Cognitive                     200              10            6/60             200
 Interviews)....................................
Focus Group Screenings..........................             900              10            3/60             450
Focus Groups....................................             300              20            8/60  ..............
Online Surveys..................................             400              12            6/60             480
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................           2,400  ..............  ..............           2,470
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    Dated: April 8, 2008.
Maryam I. Daneshvar,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention.
 [FR Doc. E8-7973 Filed 4-14-08; 8:45 am]
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