Supporting Statement B Hession rev 2009-09-16

B. COLLECTION OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL

METHODS

1. Universe and Respondent Selection

The December Supplement is conducted in conjunction with the CPS, for which the universe is approximately 118 million households, comprising the noninstitutionalized civilian population of the United States. From this universe, a stratified, clustered, probability sample of approximately 72,000 household addresses is selected each month. Of these, approximately 60,000 households are eligible for interview and approximately 54,400 (91 percent) complete the core labor force survey. These households will be asked to answer the Supplement questions applicable to their household. Based on the response rate of the December 2006 and 2007 Food Security Supplements, we expect approximately 46,724 households (86 percent of those that complete the core labor force interview) to respond to the Supplement. The questions are intended to be asked of the person most knowledgeable about the food that is bought and eaten in the household. If one person is most knowledgeable about shopping for food but another is most knowledgeable about eating, the person most knowledgeable about the food eaten is interviewed. If there is no one person in the household who is most knowledgeable about the food that is bought or eaten, the labor force respondent is encouraged to answer the questions the best they can.

2. Procedures for Collecting Information

The survey is a supplemental survey associated with the December CPS. Census Bureau field staff conduct about one-third of interviews face-to-face in respondents homes and the remainder by telephone, using computer assisted interviewing technology. Weights for the core (labor force) CPS are calculated beginning with a basic weight for each person, which represents the probability of selection for the survey. The basic weight is adjusted for special sampling situations and failure to obtain interviews from eligible households. A two-stage ratio estimation procedure adjusts the sample population to the known distribution for the entire population. The Census Bureau also calculates weights for use with the food security supplement data that take into account nonresponse to the supplement of households that respond to the core CPS.

Attachment F contains an overview of the CPS sample design and weighting methodology. A detailed description is available in Current Population Survey, Design and Methodology, Technical Paper 63RV, March 2002, available from the Census Bureau Web site: (http://www.bls.census.gov/cps/tp/tp63.htm). The statistical properties of these supplemental items will be similar to those associated with the basic CPS items.

3. Methods to Maximize Response

Response rates and data accuracy for the CPS are maintained at high levels through internal consistency edits in the computerized instrument, interviewer instructions and training, and close monitoring of these data. ERS is targeting response rates consistent with the December 2008 activity.

4. Testing of Procedures

The December 2009 Food Security Supplement will continue the split-ballot test initiated in 2008 of separating question SH2 (about adults cutting the size of meals or skipping meals) into two questions: one about cutting the size of meals, the second about skipping meals.

5. Contact Persons

The following individuals may be consulted concerning the statistical data collection and analysis operations:

Statistical Design:

Patrick Flanagan

Demographic Statistical Methods Division

Bureau of the Census

(301) 763‑4290

Data Collection/ Survey Design:

Lisa A. Clement

Demographic Surveys Division

Bureau of the Census

(301) 763-5482

Analysis of Food Security Data

Mark Nord

Food Assistance Branch

Economic Research Service, USDA

(202) 694-5433

Attachments

1. Proposed December 2009 Food Security Supplement Questions

2. 10‑Year Comprehensive Plan for National Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research (1993 Exec. Summary and Task V‑C‑2.4)

3. CPS Advance Letter

4. Confidentiality Brochure

5. Title 13, United States Code

6. Overview of CPS Sample Design and Methodology

7. Email to OMB Staff (Bavier, Malanowski, Harris-Kojetin)

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