Form 1 survey

OMB#0925-0590 Exp:6/2011

Attachment C—Sample Questions for Focus Groups & Follow-up

Sample questions for the mothers include:

1. Now that you have heard an explanation of the National Children’s Study, can you tell me what you understand about what a mother and father would have to do for the study? Probe: We went through all the things that the NCS would ask a family to donate: information about you and your child; samples of blood, urine, etc.; people coming into your house; leaving equipment in your house; taking pictures of your baby; using a breast pump and giving away the milk; Further probe: Is there any one part of this that bothers you? Why?

2. Think about a father who does not live with his baby. What do you think about the father participating in the study? Probe: do you think the baby’s father would agree to be in the study; are there things about having the baby’s father involved that would interfere with your relationship; can you anticipate how the baby’s father would react to being asked to be in the study?

3. Think of this father again. What would you say are the two most useful ways of getting the baby’s father in the study? What would make him say, “Yes, I’ll participate”; are there key people in the community who if they said, “this study is a good thing” or “this study is important” then the baby’s father would participate; are there incentives, things that the baby’s father would want in return for their participation?

4. Let’s say a friend and her baby are in the study, we would need to get in touch with the baby’s father to ask him to be in the study too. How might we go about contacting the father; what would we say to him when we called him for the first time? Probe: Of the fathers you know of who do not live with their baby, do they participate in activities with the baby and would this indicate that he may be willing to be in the study. Let’s say your friend or family member is in this study. Would she be willing to give us the contact information for her baby’s father? If yes, why? If not, why?

Sample questions for the fathers include:

1. Now that you know about the study, can you tell me in your own words what a father will be asked to do for the study? Probe: At least one time, a father will receive a home visit and will be asked to give a sample of saliva, blood, urine, and hair to the study: how do you think fathers would react to this? Is there anything you can think of that would help make giving up these things easier or making a father feel comfortable giving up these things? Fathers may also be asked to let someone watch how they play with their baby and to be videotaped. Is there any part of that that bothers you? If so, what and why?

2. What would you say are some reasons that if a father was asked, he would want to participate in the study? Probe: What if this father is not in any type of relationship with his baby’s mother? Are there reasons he may still want to participate?

3. If a father wants to participate, what do you think are things that might get in his way? Probe: What about the father’s relationship with his family or his employer? Do you think this study is connected to other organizations that could influence a father’s finances or his relationship with the baby or the baby’s mother? Might a father think that we will give away his blood or urine or it would be tested for drugs and/or alcohol?

4. Let’s say a man is at home or at work and he gets a phone call or a cell phone call. The person on the phone wants to know if he would be in the study. What words would that person use or what might the person say to keep the man on the phone and listen to an explanation of the study. Probe: How would this man know that this study is for real? Is there some way that before he gets the phone call he might of heard about the study? Can you give us ideas of how we can let fathers know about the study?

5. If someone in the community said to a man, “this study is a good thing for children” do you think that the fathers you know would participate? If yes, who would that community person be or what role would they have in the community?

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