[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 48 (Friday, March 11, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13340-13342]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-5624]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request--WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counseling Study

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment 
on the proposed collection of data for the second phase of the WIC 
Breastfeeding Peer Counseling Study. The first phase of this study 
examined the implementation of the Loving Support peer counseling 
program in State and local WIC agencies across the country; the final 
report on this first phase of the study may be downloaded from http://www.fns.usda.gov/ora/ (see ``WIC studies''). This second phase is a 
revision of a currently approved collection which will assess the 
impact of including in-person peer counseling as part of the Loving 
Support program on breastfeeding outcomes for WIC participants.

DATES: Written comments should be received on or before May 10, 2011 to 
be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection 
of

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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, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions that were used; (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 
those who are to respond, including use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.
    Comments may be sent to: Steve Carlson, Director, Office of 
Research and Analysis, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 1014, Alexandria, VA 22302. 
Comments may also be submitted via fax to the attention of Steve 
Carlson at 703-305-2576 or via e-mail to [email protected]. 
Comments will also be accepted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal. 
Go to http://www.regulations.gov, and follow the online instructions 
for submitting comments electronically.
    All written comments will be open for public inspection at the 
office of the Food and Nutrition Service during regular business hours 
(8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday) at, 3101 Park Center 
Drive, Room 1014, Alexandria, Virginia 22302. All electronic comments 
can be viewed through http://www.regulations.gov.
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for OMB approval. All comments will be a matter of public 
record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of this information collection should be directed to Steve 
Carlson at 703-305-2017.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counseling Study.
    OMB Approval Number: 0584-0548.
    Expiration Date: 7/31/2011.
    Type Of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: Beginning in Fiscal Year (FY) 2004 and continuing through 
to the present, Congress appropriated about $15 million per year for 
States to support breastfeeding peer counseling in the Special 
Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC); 
in FY2010 Congress increased this amount to $80 million per year. Prior 
research has suggested that peer counseling may increase breastfeeding 
duration rates and is associated with positive outcomes in groups that 
have proven difficult for WIC to support in the initiation and 
continuation of breastfeeding. The first phase of the WIC Breastfeeding 
Peer Counseling study, published in spring 2010, developed a 
comprehensive and detailed picture of how the Loving Support Peer 
Counseling Program was implemented in States and local WIC agencies 
(LWAs) throughout the country. One important finding of this first 
phase was that there is variation in the implementation of the Loving 
Support peer counseling program in local WIC agencies, particularly 
variation in the frequency, timing and location of in-person peer 
counseling offered to WIC participants pre- and post-partum. The 
proposed second phase of the study will examine how specific variations 
in implementing peer counseling using the Loving Support model affect 
breastfeeding outcomes. Up to eight local WIC agencies will be invited 
to participate in this phase of the study. From these eight local WIC 
agencies, approximately 1,800 first-time expectant mothers who certify 
for WIC benefits and sign-up to receive peer counseling will be 
randomly assigned to one of two conditions: a control group of 900 will 
receive their local WIC agency's regular Loving Support peer counseling 
services; a treatment group of 900 will be offered Loving Support peer 
counseling services that more strongly emphasizes in-person contact 
with peer counselors than the agency's regular Loving Support program. 
In particular, women in the treatment group will be offered in-person 
peer counseling during the first ten days after giving birth.
    Affected Public: Individual/Household, State, Local and Tribal 
Government. The proposed data collection activities will require two 
types of respondent groups: staff at the participating local WIC 
agencies; and individual WIC participants who consent to participate in 
the study. Multiple respondents from the participating local WIC 
agencies may be required to complete each data collection instrument to 
be used with local WIC agency staff. These respondents will include the 
local WIC director, breastfeeding and peer counseling coordinators, 
peer counselors, and the local WIC agency database manager, as well as 
individual WIC participants who consent to participate in the study.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: The maximum total estimated number 
of respondents is 2,110. This total includes eight local WIC Peer 
Counseling Coordinators who will participate in two interviews and 
complete ten progress reporting forms, one per month for ten months. 
The Coordinators will be assisted by eight local WIC directors, eight 
local WIC breastfeeding coordinators, and eight local WIC database 
managers. Up to 64 Peer Counselors (roughly eight per participating 
local WIC agency) will complete a background questionnaire and 
participate in an individual interview (or will complete the interview 
as part of a focus group). Finally, assuming a 100% response rate, 
1,800 WIC participants will participate in two telephone-administered 
questionnaires.
    Number of Responses per Respondent: The local WIC Peer Counseling 
Coordinators at each participating WIC agency will participate in two 
interviews, assisted by their local WIC agency's director, 
breastfeeding coordinator, and database manager. Each local WIC Peer 
Counseling Coordinator will provide ten responses on a progress 
reporting form with the assistance of their local WIC agency's database 
manager. Up to 64 Peer Counselors (roughly eight per local WIC site) 
will complete a background questionnaire and participate in an 
interview. Each WIC participant will respond to two telephone-
administered questionnaires.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses per Respondent: 3,958.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 1,648 hours.
    Estimated Time per Response: 0.42 of an hour or 25 minutes.
    FNS estimates that a total reporting and recordkeeping burden of 
1,655 hours will result from activities to implement the data 
collection instruments. The estimated average response time is 0.42 of 
an hour or 25 minutes. See Table 1 below for the estimated total burden 
for each type of respondent by instrument type.

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                                                                         Table 1
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                                                                                                   Avg. number
                                                                                       Number       responses   Total annual    Hours per
         Affected public                Respondent type            Instrument        respondents       per        responses     response    Total burden
                                                                                                   respondent
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State, Local and Tribal            Local WIC Agency Director  Interview...........             8          2.00         16.00          0.50          8.00
 Government.
                                   (non-response)...........  Pre-screening.......             2          1.00          2.00        0.0835          0.17
                                   Local WIC Breastfeeding    Interview...........             8          2.00         16.00          1.00         16.00
                                    Coordinator.
                                   (non-response)...........  Interview...........             2          1.00          2.00        0.0835          0.17
                                   Local Peer Counseling      Interview...........             8          2.00         16.00          2.00         32.00
                                    Coordinator.
                                   (non-response)...........  Pre-screening.......             2          1.00          2.00        0.0835          0.17
                                   Local Peer Counseling      Progress Reporting               8         10.00         80.00          3.00        240.00
                                    Coordinator.               Form.
                                   Local WIC Agency Database  Interview...........             8          1.00          8.00          0.50          4.00
                                    Manager.
                                   (non-response)...........  Pre-screening.......             2          1.00          2.00        0.0835          0.17
                                   Local WIC Agency Database  Progress Reporting               8         10.00         80.00          0.50         40.00
                                    Manager.                   Form.
                                   Peer Counselor...........  Interview...........            64          1.00         64.00          1.50         96.00
                                   (non-response)...........  Pre-screening.......             6          1.00          6.00        0.0835          0.50
                                   Peer Counselor...........  Questionnaire.......            64          1.00         64.00          0.25         16.00
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    Total SA Reporting burden....  .........................  ....................           110          3.25        358.00          1.22        436.67
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Individual/Household.............  WIC Participant..........  Questionnaire.......         1,800          2.00      3,600.00         0.334      1,202.40
                                   (non-response)...........  Pre-screening.......           200          1.00        200.00        0.0835         16.70
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    Total I/H Burden.............  .........................  ....................      2,000.00          1.90      3,800.00          0.32      1,219.10
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        Total burden.............  .........................  ....................      2,110.00          1.88      3,958.00          0.42      1,655.77
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    Dated: March 4, 2011.
Julia Paradis,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-5624 Filed 3-10-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P