Recruitment of States

G. State Recruitment Script

Form Approved

OMB No.: 0920-xxxx

Expiration Date: xx/xx/xx

GUIDELINES FOR STATE EDUCATION AGENCY CONTACTS

NATIONAL YOUTH PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND NUTRITION SURVEY

PRIOR TO CALLING, VERIFY THE DATE LETTER WAS SENT AND HAVE THE LETTER AND STATE'S FILE FOLDER CONTAINING THE NAMES OF THE HEALTH/PHYSICAL EDUCATION COORDINATOR AND OTHER CONTACT PERSONS READY TO DOCUMENT THE OUTCOME OF EACH CALL.

1. Hello, this is [YOUR NAME]. I'm calling to follow up on a letter from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notifying you that [number of schools] in [STATE] will soon be invited to participate in the National Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey, sponsored by the CDC, which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services. The survey is funded by the Division of Adolescent and School Health. Do you have 15 or 20 minutes to talk with me right now? (IF NOT:) When would you like me to call you back or would you prefer to make an appointment?

2. A letter about this went to [YOU/NAME OF PERSON TO BE CONTACTED] on [DATE]. The letter was signed by Dr. Howell Wechsler at CDC. Along with the letter was a Fact Sheet, copy of the questionnaire, and other materials.

3. Do you recall getting the letter? Have you had a chance to review these materials?

4. My basic reason for calling now is to make sure that you received the letter, to answer any questions that you may have, and to see what will be involved in getting a letter of support from your State to include with our letter of invitation to selected districts and schools.

5. (PROVIDE BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE PROJECT.) The study is driven by nationwide concerns about the obesity epidemic among Americans, and especially among America’s youth. The survey will help us understand what key physical activity and nutrition behaviors might be contributing to adolescent obesity and putting students at greater risk for ill health into adulthood. The study will also look at the associations between student Body Mass Index and a variety of behaviors. Study results will have significant implications for policy and program development for obesity prevention and physical activity programs nationwide.

6. (PROVIDE INFORMATION ON BURDEN AND PROCEDURES.) The main component of the study involves the random selection of one class in each of grades 9 through 12 (or about 100 students total) as members of intact classrooms to participate from each school. The survey will be administered by specially-trained field staff during one class period, and will take approximately 45 minutes for the students to record their responses to 120 multiple-choice questions. The questionnaire was developed by expert panels in physical activity and dietary measurement, with technical assistance by CDC. Students who take the survey also will be measured for height and weight.

That is the main component of the study. If schools are willing to participate in the main study, we will ask if they’d like to volunteer for another portion of the study that will take place outside of school. We will only approach schools about this part if they are willing to do the school survey. This out-of-school

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 30 minutes per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to: CDC Reports Clearance Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS D-74, Atlanta, GA 30333, ATTN: PRA(0920-XXXX).

component involves selecting one class of students that participated in the survey having some students to complete one-on-one interviews about their dietary intake. Again, schools can agree to participate in the physical activity and nutrition in-school survey, but say they do not want to participate in the out-of-school component.

Districts and schools were selected randomly for this survey. Participation in the survey is completely voluntary. However, it is very important that we achieve a high participation rate for the survey results to be valid. Anonymity will be maintained throughout the entire survey process. No results will be reported by student name, class, school, school district, city, or state.

We are asking schools to assist our field staff in coordinating our visit and teachers to send home the parental permission forms, keep track of them when they are returned, and send out reminders when necessary.

Participating schools will receive $200.

7. Do you have any questions that I can answer for you? Are there any issues you would like to discuss?

8. (IN RESPONSE TO INQUIRIES ABOUT TIMING:) We do not know the exact dates when we will be in your school districts. Data collection for the in-school survey will start during February and end in April. If schools in your state volunteer to participate in the out-of-school component, that will start after we’ve visited them for the school survey and will conclude before the end of the school year.

9. Do you have any problems in obtaining the state's endorsement of the survey? (IF SO:)

(RESOLVE ENDORSEMENT ISSUES.)

10. Your support of the survey is important to obtaining the cooperation of the schools. I would like to discuss how we may go about obtaining a letter of support that can be distributed to the selected school districts and, subsequently, to schools in your state. (DISCUSS GENERAL CONTENT OF TYPICAL LETTER. IF LETTER WAS OBTAINED FOR A PREVIOUS YRBS CYCLE, REFER TO IT. OFFER TO SUPPLY A COPY IF REQUESTED.)

11. Since we would like to contact the districts as quickly as possible to inform them about the survey, we'd like to request that your office call or send this letter of support to each selected district, confirming that we have contacted you concerning your endorsement, and let them know we will be contacting each of them soon. A statement in the letter about the state's support of the survey would greatly assist us in our contacts. Can you do this? Or if you prefer, with your approval we will contact the district(s) and inform them that "we spoke to State Superintendent/Health Commissioner [NAME] on [DATE]. He/she has given (his/her) support for our contacting you today." Or would you prefer to call or write a letter personally to each district before we contact them? (IF SO:) Will you be writing, emailing, or calling? Could you give me an idea when you expect to make the contacts? I'd like to confirm with you that you've made contact before we proceed. (IF CONTACT WILL BE BY LETTER:) Could you send me a copy of the letter? (IF CONTACT WILL BE BY EMAIL:) Could you copy me on your email to the principals? My email address is [ADDRESS].

12. (IF STATE WILL NOT PROVIDE A LETTER OF SUPPORT: RECORD ALL REASONS AND CIRCUMSTANCES CONCERNING DENIAL.) Thank you very much for the time you've spent talking to me today. (END CONVERSATION ON POSITIVE NOTE, ALLOWING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR FUTURE CONTACT ON THIS ISSUE.)

13. Thank you very much for your time and cooperation with us on this very important survey. Please feel free to call either Jim Ross or Alice Roberts at Macro if you have any questions. The number is (800) 675-9727. You may also contact Dr. Nancy Brener at CDC. Her number is (770) 488-6184.