[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 57 (Friday, March 23, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17002-17004]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-7033]



[[Page 17002]]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comments Request--WIC Infant and Toddler Feeding Practices Study-2 (WIC 
ITFPS-2)

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice invites the public and other public agencies to comment on this 
proposed information collection. This is a new collection for the Food 
and Nutrition Service to update and build upon previous research 
conducted in the 1990's, the WIC Infant Feeding Practices (WIC IFPS-1). 
The currently planned study will provide contemporary information on 
the feeding practices of this specific population of children enrolled 
in WIC over the first two years of their lives. It will determine the 
prevalence of particular feeding practices in the WIC population, and 
assess whether the new WIC food packages, instituted in 2009, have 
influenced those feeding practices, specifically as it relates to 
breastfeeding rates. This study will also examine the circumstances and 
influences that shape a mother's feeding decisions for their child and 
describe the impact of these decisions throughout early child 
development.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before May 22, 2012.

ADDRESSES: 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 on 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 collected; and (d) 
ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.
    Comments may be sent to: Steven Carlson, Office of Research and 
Analysis, Food and Nutrition Service, USDA, 3101 Park Center Drive, 
Room 1014, Alexandria, VA 22302. Comments may also be submitted via fax 
to the attention of Steven Carlson at 703-305-2017 or via email 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 Research and Analysis, 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 responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for Office of Management and Budget 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 Steven 
Carlson at 703-305-2017.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Women Infants and Children Infant and 
Toddler Feeding Practices Study-2 (WIC ITFPS-2).
    OMB Number: 0584-NEW.
    Expiration Date of Approval: Not yet determined.
    Type of request: New collection.
    Abstract: The Food and Nutrition Service's (FNS) WIC ITFPS-2 will 
update the current body of knowledge regarding infant and toddler 
feeding practices and behaviors. This important research is needed to 
understand the nutritional intake and feeding patterns within the WIC 
population to assist in the development of appropriate and effective 
prevention strategies to improve the health of young children. With 
over 50 percent of the nation's infants enrolled in WIC, it is hoped 
that prevention strategies implemented in WIC will have a substantial 
impact on the growth and health of U.S. infants and children.
    The objectives of the WIC ITFPS-2 include:
     Update data collected in WIC-IFPS-1.
     Compare new findings with other major studies (WIC-IFPS-1, 
FDA IFPS, and the Gerber/Nestle 2002 and 2008 FITS studies).
     Assess effectiveness of different education and 
breastfeeding promotion approaches in achieving recommended feeding 
patterns and behaviors.
     Assess conditions of overfeeding and overconsumption.
     Identify nutrition education influences.
     Assess impact of WIC food packages on outcomes.
     Determine changes in maternal feeding practices and 
behaviors over time as infants and toddlers transition into or out of 
WIC.
    The data collection activities to be undertaken subject to this 
notice include:
     An in-person eligibility screener and recruitment 
interview will be administered to WIC others/caretakers at the point of 
enrollment, either when they enroll in WIC prenatally or after the 
child is born. Sampled participants will be assigned to either the core 
sample or the supplemental sample. Up to 11 distinct telephone 
interviews will be administered to the core sample when the child is 1, 
3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 18, and 24 months old; and 4 telephone 
interviews will be administered to the supplemental sample. The 
telephone interviews will include a 24-hour dietary recall.
     An in-depth telephone interview will be conducted with key 
staff in the state and local WIC administration offices of the sampled 
WIC service sites.
     A web survey will be conducted with multiple WIC clinic 
staff at all recruited WIC service sites.

Affected Public

     Individual/Household (7,841 WIC Breastfeeding Mothers): 
Respondent groups identified include women enrolling in the WIC program 
or the primary caregiver of the WIC enrolled infant. A total of 728 of 
those eligible (14%) will not participate in part or in whole.
     State, Local and Tribal Agencies (105 key Informants and 
800 WIC Staff): WIC program administrators at the local and state level 
(key informants) and staff persons who are providing WIC services 
through direct client interaction. All key informants will participate. 
FNS estimates 80% or 600 WIC program administrators will participate; 
200 will not participate.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: As presented in Table 1, the total 
number of respondents is 8,746. A total of 7,841 are WIC participants, 
105 are state and local key informants, and 800 are local WIC staff. Of 
the 5,163 WIC women who complete the eligibility screener, we will 
recruit 4,435 \1\ women into the study (86%). Of those, 2,141 women in 
the core sample and 928 in the supplemental sample will complete the 
study. All WIC participants will

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receive the screener and recruitment interviews. Most WIC participants 
in the core sample will be interviewed when their child is 1, 3, 5, 7, 
9, 11, 13, 15, 18, and 24 months old; participants who are recruited 
prenatally will also receive a prenatal interview. About 18 percent of 
participants in the core sample will not be enrolled in the study until 
their child is 2 months old and therefore will be interviewed beginning 
at 3 months. WIC participants in the supplemental sample will be 
interviewed when their child is either 1 or 3 months old (depending on 
the age of the child when recruited) and at 7, 13, and 24 months. All 
105 key informants will complete the in-depth interview, and 600 WIC 
staff (80%) will complete a web survey.
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    \1\ 4,435 = 3,416 prenatal women + 1,019 post-natal women; 
however, of the 4,435 prenatal women, we expect only 2,972 will have 
live births. Therefore, 2,972 live births + 1,019 post-natal = 
3,991. This equals the number of Completed + Attempted interviews 
for the Core and Supplemental follow-up interviews in Table 1.
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    Estimated Total Annual Responses: The total annualized estimated 
number of responses is 17,225: 16,922 responses by WIC participants, 35 
responses by WIC key informants, and 267 by WIC staff. The 16,992 WIC 
participant responses include a 10 percent subsample of core 
respondents who will complete a second 24-hour dietary recall for all 
postnatal interviews. Annualized burden should be multiplied by 3 to 
get the burden over the life of the 3-year data collection period 
(note: the maximum burden hours fall in the first year of infant life).
    Estimated Time per Response: WIC mothers/caregivers will take 
approximately 5 minutes (.08333 hours) to complete the eligibility 
screener; 20 minutes (.3333 hours) to complete the recruitment 
interview; and an average of 30 minutes (.5000 hours) to complete all 
follow up telephone interviews (prenatal, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 
18, 24-month). The key informant interviews will take an average of 60 
minutes and the WIC clinic staff web survey will take approximately 30 
minutes (.5000 hours) to complete.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: FNS estimates the 
annualized burden is 5,804 hours.

                                   Table 1--Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                                         Estimated annualized burden hours
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Respondents by type of interview                     Number of       Estimated        Average
                                     Number of     responses per   total annual    burden hours    Total annual
                                    respondents     respondent       responses     per response     hour burden
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                                           WIC Participant Interviews
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Eligibility Screener............
    Completed...................           5,163           0.334        1,724.11          0.0835          143.99
    Attempted...................           2,678           0.334         894.452          0.0334           29.87
Recruitment Interview
    Completed...................           4,435           0.334        1,481.29           0.334          494.75
    Attempted...................             728           0.334          243.15          0.0334            8.12
Core Follow-up interviews
    Completed...................            2141               4        8,564.00             0.5        4,281.01
    Attempted...................             663            3.67        2,433.21          0.0334           81.27
Supplemental Follow-up
 interviews
    Completed...................             928           1.334        1,237.95             0.5          618.98
    Attempted...................             258           1.334          344.17          0.0334           11.50
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        WIC participant Total...           7,841  ..............       16,922.67  ..............        5,669.49
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                                               WIC Key Informants
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Key Informant interview
    Completed...................             105            0.33           34.65             1.0           34.65
    Attempted...................               0            0.33               0          0.0334               0
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        Key informant Total.....             105  ..............           34.65  ..............           34.65
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                                                    WIC Staff
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Web survey
    Completed...................             600           0.334           200.4             0.5           100.2
    Attempted...................             200           0.334            66.8               0               0
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        Staff Survey Total......             800  ..............           267.2  ..............           100.2
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            Annualized Total....           8,746  ..............          17,225  ..............        5,804.34
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\1\ 4,435 = 3,416 prenatal women + 1,019 post-natal women; however, of the 4,435 prenatal women, we expect only
  2,972 will have live births. Therefore, 2,972 live births + 1,019 post-natal = 3,991. This equals the number
  of Completed + Attempted interviews for the Core and Supplemental follow-up interviews in Table 1.
\2\ Total Annual hour burden will need to be multiple by 3 for the 3 year data collection period (note: the
  maximum burden hours fall in the first year of infant life).



[[Page 17004]]

    Dated: March 19, 2012.
Jeffrey J. Tribiano,
Acting Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-7033 Filed 3-22-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P