[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 79 (Thursday, April 24, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22823-22825]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-09317]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

    In compliance with section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 concerning opportunity for public comment on proposed 
collections of information, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health 
Services Administration (SAMHSA) will publish periodic summaries of 
proposed projects. To request more information on the proposed projects 
or to obtain a copy of the information collection plans, call the 
SAMHSA Reports Clearance Officer on (240) 276-1243.
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collections of 
information are 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.

[[Page 22824]]

Proposed Project: 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (OMB No. 
0930-0110)--Revision

    The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) is a survey of 
the U.S. civilian, non-institutionalized population aged 12 years old 
or older. The data are used to determine the prevalence of use of 
tobacco products, alcohol, illicit substances, and illicit use of 
prescription drugs. The results are used by SAMHSA, the Office of 
National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), Federal government agencies, and 
other organizations and researchers to establish policy, direct program 
activities, and better allocate resources.
    In order to continue producing current data, SAMHSA's Center for 
Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality (CBHSQ) must periodically 
update aspects of the NSDUH to reflect the changing substance use and 
mental health issues and to continue producing current data. CBHSQ has 
such plans for the 2015 NSDUH survey year to achieve two goals: (1) 
Revise the questionnaire to address changing policy and research data 
needs, and (2) modify the survey methodology to improve the quality of 
estimates and the efficiency of data collection and processing.
    Planned revisions for the 2015 NSDUH to the questionnaire, 
methodology and materials, including an assessment of new computer 
equipment, were initially tested in 2012 as part of the NSDUH 
Questionnaire Field Test (QFT) (OMB No. 0930-0334), then further 
refined and tested again in 2013 during the NSDUH Dress Rehearsal (DR) 
(OMB No. 0930-0334). As such, most of the changes described herein were 
successfully tested as part of the QFT and/or DR unless otherwise 
specified.
    The changes to the questionnaire content for 2015 will include: (a) 
Revisions to modules for smokeless tobacco, hallucinogens, inhalants, 
prescription drugs, special drugs, consumption of alcohol, and health 
care; (b) revisions to the educational attainment response categories; 
(c) a lower threshold of binge alcohol use for females; (d) a new 
methamphetamine module; (e) addition of two sexual orientation 
questions to be asked of adults; and (f) revisions to back-end 
demographics questions. Also, to aid respondent recall within the 
questionnaire, prescription drug images and a reference date calendar 
will display on the computer screen rather than being displayed in 
hard-copy, paper form.
    There are a few additional changes to the questionnaire content for 
2015 not tested during the DR, which include: (a) The term ``Molly'' 
will be added to questions about Ecstasy in the hallucinogens module; 
(b) routine updates to logic and wording for consistency and to 
maximize respondent comprehension; and (c) other minor changes to 
questions throughout the instrument to clarify intent.
    Several changes are also planned to the methodology for 2015 in an 
effort to improve the efficiency of data collection and processing; 
these were tested during the QFT and DR. A new 7-inch touch screen 
tablet will be used for screening and interview respondent selection, 
in addition to a new lightweight laptop used to administer the 
questionnaire. Also redesigned versions of the lead letter (mailed to 
respondents prior to being contacted by an interviewer) and a question 
& answer brochure will be provided to respondents. As necessary, all 
materials provided to respondents for 2015 will be updated to now 
reference the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (instead of 
U.S. Public Health Service) and any previous mention of the Contractor, 
Research Triangle Institute, will now appear as RTI International. Due 
to changes to the questionnaire content, the showcard booklet, which 
allows respondents to refer to information necessary for accurate 
responses, will contain fewer showcards.
    Along with the new laptop, text to speech (TTS) software is being 
programmed and tested for implementation within the questionnaire for 
2015. TTS uses a computer-generated voice to read text displayed on-
screen, rather than relying on the pre-recorded audio files from a 
human voice used previously with the audio computer-assisted self-
interviewing (ACASI) portions of the interview. Though TTS was not 
tested as part of the QFT or DR, during an evaluation of the software, 
there were no problems understanding any words or phrases produced by 
the TTS voices in English or Spanish, so it will be implemented for the 
2015 NSDUH unless there is a significant problem shown during testing. 
If TTS is not implemented, the current method of using pre-recorded 
audio files will be continued for the 2015 NSDUH.
    In addition, interviewers will now have the option of showing a 
short video via the multimedia capability of the touch screen tablet. 
The video (approx. 50 seconds in run time) will provide a brief 
explanation of the study and why participation is important. Also 
contained within the tablet and new for 2015 is a parental introductory 
script, designed to be read to a parent or guardian once a youth 
respondent is selected to complete an interview. This script will 
standardize the introductory conversations with parent/guardians.
    As with all NSDUH/NHSDA (prior to 2002, the NSDUH was referred to 
as the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA)) surveys 
conducted since 1999, the sample size of the survey for 2015 will be 
sufficient to permit prevalence estimates for each of the fifty States 
and the District of Columbia. The sample design for 2015 will be the 
same as the design used for 2014 data collection. This design places 
more sample in the 26 or older age groups to more accurately estimate 
drug use and related mental health measures among the aging drug use 
population, and allows for the possible adoption of address-based 
sampling in the future. The total annual burden estimate is shown in 
Table 1.

                               Table 1--Annualized Estimated Burden for 2015 NSDUH
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                                     Number of     Responses per   Total number      Hours per     Total burden
           Instrument               respondents     respondent     of responses      response          hours
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Household Screening.............         125,176               1         125,176           0.083          10,390
Interview.......................          67,507               1          67,507           1.000          67,507
Screening Verification..........           3,755               1           3,755           0.067             252
Interview Verification..........          10,126               1          10,126           0.067             678
                                 =================
    Total.......................         125,176  ..............         125,176  ..............          78,827
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[[Page 22825]]

    Send comments to Summer King, SAMHSA Reports Clearance Officer, 
Room 2-1057,
    One Choke Cherry Road, Rockville, MD 20857 or email her a copy at 
[email protected]. Written comments should be received by June 
23, 2014.

Summer King,
Statistician.
[FR Doc. 2014-09317 Filed 4-23-14; 8:45 am]
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