Attach C

ATTACHMENT C: Sample advanced letter to respondents, based on that used for the 2005

HINTS

DRAFT HINTS Advance letter – (place on NCI Letterhead)

OMB # 0925-xxxx

Expiration Date: xx/xxxx

Household

Address

City, ST, ZIP

Dear Friend:

Few things in life are as important as health. I am writing to encourage your household’s participation in an important national survey sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health. The survey, known as the Health Information National Trends Survey, is authorized under 42 USC, Section 411.285a. The survey concerns what people know, believe and do about certain aspects of their health. The results of the study will help NCI’s ongoing effort to promote good health and prevent disease.

Your household was selected at random for this nationwide survey. Westat, a research firm in Rockville, Maryland, is collecting data for this study for NCI. Sometime in the next month, a Westat interviewer will call your household.

Your participation is voluntary, but we would greatly appreciate your assistance. Be assured that there will be no penalties if you decide not to respond, either to the information collection as a whole, or to any particular question. The information you provide will be kept confidential and will not be disclosed in identifiable form to anyone but the researchers conducting this study or as provided by law.

Whether you are in good health or have health problems and whether or not you or anyone in your family has ever had cancer, your input and opinions are crucial to the success of this study. Your answers, combined with those of other survey respondents, will help the National Cancer Institute better serve the information needs of the American public. We hope that when you are contacted you will agree to help. Responding to the survey will take 20 to 30 minutes, depending on your answers.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation. We know that people receive many requests to be in surveys, and that your time is valuable. We hope that when the interviewer calls, you will take the time to talk. If you have any questions about the study, you may call Westat at 1-800-XXX-XXXX.