Message Testing - Qualitative interview

Form Approved

OMB No. 0920-0840

Expiration Date 01/31/2013

Development of HIV Prevention Decision Support Messages for Men Who Have Sex with Men and Heterosexuals

Qualitative Interview

Public reporting burden of this collection of information is estimated to average 60 minutes per response, including the 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/ATSDR Reports Clearance Officer; 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS D-74, Atlanta, Georgia 30333; Attn: OMB-PRA (0920-0840)

Development of HIV Prevention Decision Support Messages

for Men Who Have Sex with Men and Heterosexuals

(OMB No. 0920-0840, Expiration 31 January 2013)

Qualitative Interview Guide

Task Purpose: To qualitatively pre-test messages promoting informed decision-making around safer sex practices.

Data Collection

Setting: In-depth interviews (IDIs) will take up to 1 hour. A trained interviewer will meet with the participant.

Transcription: We will audiotape the discussions. Standard measures for transcribing the discussions will be arranged.

Welcome

Thank you for coming here today. Your participation is very important. I’m _______ and I’m from RTI, a non-profit research organization. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is sponsoring this research. Someone from the CDC may observe the interview, but they will not ask you any questions or participate in the discussion. The purpose of this interview is to hear your views and opinions on important health topics concerning safer sex practices. Your insights are very important to us and your time today is appreciated. We will have about 1 hour for our interview.

Before we begin, I want to review a few points for our talk.

• Most importantly, there are no right or wrong answers. I want to know your opinions and what you think about the issues we will be discussing. I do not work for the people who are sponsoring this research, so don’t hold back from giving me your honest opinions.

• You have probably noticed the microphone sitting here. It is here because I am audio taping. I want to give you my full attention and not have to take a lot of notes. At the end of our discussion, I have to write a report and will refer to the tape when writing the report.

• Your identity and anything you personally say here will remain confidential. Your name, address, and phone number, which only the facility/recruiter knows, will not be given to anyone and no one will contact you after this interview is over.

• There may be some sensitive questions asked during this discussion. If at any time you are uncomfortable with my questions, you can choose not to answer. Simply let me know that you prefer not to answer.

• If you bring up a friend or other person you know as an example in our discussion, please do not use their last name either. So, whenever you mention a name, it should only be a first name and never a last name.

• Please turn your cell phone or beeper to vibrate or silent mode. The interview will last no more than 1 hour.

• If you need to go to the restroom during the discussion, just let me know, but please return as soon as possible.

• Do you have any questions before we begin?

Warm-up

Before we begin our discussion, let’s spend a little time getting to know one another.

1. What are your top 5 health concerns?

[INTERVIEW: AFTER LISTING TOP 5, ASK HIM TO RANK EACH BY LEVEL OF IMPORTANCE]

Background Questions

Now we are going to shift topics a bit and talk about HIV.

2. How much do you worry about HIV?

• Do you feel like you are at risk for HIV? Have you ever been at risk?

• Have you ever made any changes in your life because you were worried about getting HIV (e.g., started using condoms, got tested or got tested more frequently)?

• Why do you worry about HIV?

Presentation of Messages

Now I would like to show you some messages that may later be part of a guide or tool that the CDC might develop to help people make decisions about safer sex practices.

There are [INSERT NUMBER] messages that I am going to share with you. Each message has an introduction with supporting words. I’ll show you the messages and then we’ll discuss them. We’ll repeat this same process with each of the [INSERT NUMBER] sets of messages. For now, I would like us to avoid comparing the messages. Instead, let’s consider each message on its own first.

As we discuss each message, I will hand out a sheet of paper with the message written on it that we will be using in this process. As we go along, there will be times when I will ask for you to mark certain information, rankings or ratings on this sheet of paper. I will be collecting these sheets at the end of our session.

Note to interviewer: Repeat questions X-X for each message.

Comprehension

3. What is the main idea that this message is trying to get across, in your own words?

4. How well do you think the main ideas come across?

5. What is this message trying to get people to do?

6. What action would the message prompt you to take?

7. What words were unusual or unfamiliar?

8. What other words can be used in their place?

9. Is there anything confusing, unclear, or hard to understand? What?

10. In your own words, please tell me what this message/chart/graphic says about the risk of [insert behavior/strategy/etc here]. Probe for specifics.

Impressions/Reactions

I’d like for you to review this message and identify those things you like about it and those things you don’t like. Please make sure to point out words or phrases on the sheet that you particularly like or dislike.

11. How would you sum up in just a few words your first impression of this message? Do you like it? Not like it? What makes you say that?

12. What feelings do you have in reaction to this message? OR How does this message make you feel?

13. Describe your reaction to this message. Was it positive or negative?

What positive images do you associate with “[INSERT message/phrase]?”

What negative images do you associate with “[INSERT message/phrase]”?

14. What makes this message appealing or unappealing?

15. Was this a new idea or something that you’ve heard before? Where have you heard it before?

16. What aspects of this message do you agree with?

17. What aspects of this message do you disagree with?

18. Is this message believable or not? Why or why not?

19. What additional information would you need in order to more strongly believe this message?

Audience and Personal Relevance

20. Who would you say the messages are trying to reach?

• Does it seem like this message is talking to you, and people like you? Or someone else?

• What in the message suggested it was talking to you and people like you or someone else?

21. Do you see yourself doing this...or something like it? Why/why not?

22. Who do you believe would benefit most from [INSERT]?

Content and Wording

23. What do you think about the way the message is written? What do you like/dislike? [Probe: tone, language/style, etc.] Is it easy to read?

24. What would you want to know that this message does not tell you?

25. What aspects of this message would get your attention? Why do you say that?

26. Which words or phrases do you think are especially attention-getting or appealing?

27. What words or phrases bother you? How should they be changed?

28. How could this message be improved?

29. How could the message be said differently that would make you personally more likely to notice and think about the message?

30. Thinking back to the information the message is trying to convey, what else would you add?

31. [Underline/circle/highlight/cross out] phrases, sentences or images that you think are [important/confusing/unclear/inappropriate/offensive/should be deleted]. What did you indicate as [important/confusing/unclear/inappropriate/offensive/to be deleted]?

32. How much of the [INSERT item] would you read? Please choose all that apply.

• I would only read the headline

• I would only look at the image/s

• I would only read the headline and look at the image/s

• I would read the whole thing

• I wouldn’t read any of it

[Insert other probe here]

Receptivity and Persuasiveness

On a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 indicates that you strongly disagree, and 5 indicates that you strongly agree, please tell me the number which indicates how much you agree or disagree with this message.

	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neither Disagree nor Agree	Agree	Strongly Agree
Overall, I liked this message	1	2	3	4	5
This message was easy to read	1	2	3	4	5
I learned something new by reading this message	1	2	3	4	5
I was interested in reading this message	1	2	3	4	5
This message was written for a person like me	1	2	3	4	5
This message was easy to understand	1	2	3	4	5
I would look at (read) this message if I saw it	1	2	3	4	5
I am interested in this message’s topic	1	2	3	4	5
I like the way this message looks	1	2	3	4	5
I trust the information in this message	1	2	3	4	5
I can do what this message suggests	1	2	3	4	5
I will do what this message suggests	1	2	3	4	5
I trust the information in this message	1	2	3	4	5

Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with the following statements about the message.

On a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 indicates that you strongly disagree, and 5 indicates that you strongly agree, please tell me the number which indicates how much you agree or disagree with each statement.

	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neither Disagree nor Agree	Agree	Strongly Agree
This [INSERT format] was convincing.	1	2	3	4	5
This [INSERT format] said something important to me.	1	2	3	4	5
I liked this [INSERT format] overall.	1	2	3	4	5
This [INSERT format] grabbed my attention.	1	2	3	4	5
This [INSERT format] told me something I didn’t already know.	1	2	3	4	5
This [INSERT format] gave me good reasons to (INSERT health behavior).	1	2	3	4	5
This [INSERT format] was confusing.	1	2	3	4	5
This [INSERT format] spoke to me.	1	2	3	4	5
I do not like this [INSERT format].	1	2	3	4	5

First, please rate the persuasiveness of the message you just saw. Be honest, how persuasive was it?

On a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 indicates that you strongly disagree, and 5 indicates that you strongly agree, please tell me the number which indicates how much you agree or disagree with each statement.

	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neither Disagree nor Agree	Agree	Strongly Agree
The message that I saw about [INSERT health condition/behavior/disease/ syndrome/injury/disability] was compelling.	1	2	3	4	5
The message about [INSERT health condition/behavior/ disease/syndrome/injury/ disability] was persuasive.	1	2	3	4	5
The message was weak.	1	2	3	4	5

On a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 indicates that you strongly disagree, and 5 indicates that you strongly agree, please tell me the number which indicates how much you agree or disagree with each statement.

	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neither Disagree nor Agree	Agree	Strongly Agree
Visiting the Web site/calling the number listed in the message is a good start to [INSERT behavior].	1	2	3	4	5
By doing the behaviors suggested by the message, [INSERTdesired outcome ].	1	2	3	4	5
Generally speaking, it is possible to [INSERT behavior/activity/outcome].	1	2	3	4	5
There are many things I can do to protect myself from [INSERTbehavior/activity/outcome].	1	2	3	4	5

Efficacy

33. Which actions, if any, sound doable to you? Why?

34. How feasible is it that you would try to do this? Please explain.

35. How likely is it that you would consider doing this behavior?

36. Why do you think it would be hard to do this?

37. Who in your opinion, would be against trying this? Why?

38. Which descriptions, if any, sound do-able? Why? Why not?

39. Which of these options would be the easiest to incorporate into your life? What makes that option the easiest?

40. What do you think of this idea?

41. How appealing is it to you as a way to control [INSERT health topic or behavior]?

42. How likely are you to consider doing this?

43. How would you try it out?

44. How feasible would this be to try at [insert]? Explain.

45. What would make this easier for you to do?

46. How easy are these guidelines for you to follow and understand?

47. What, if anything, makes it difficult to follow? How might this be presented in an easier way?

48. What are the good things about trying this? What might be some negative things about trying this?

49. I’m going to pass around a sheet that gives you some descriptions for [INSERT health topic or behavior]. Please review these descriptions silently, and circle those that seem most doable. Cross out any that don’t seem do-able.

• After all items have been discussed, the interviewer asks the participant to identify the two or three items that they think are most important and that they have the greatest likelihood of doing.

• From the two or three top items, the participant is asked to choose the single item that they think is most important and that they have the greatest likelihood of implementing. The interviewer explores the participant’s choices and their reasons for choosing.

• As you look at these strategies, does any one of the X stand out as the one that you would try first? Which one? Why?

• What are the one or two things we have discussed today ─ if any ─ that seem most feasible to implement in your life?

• Is there any more information or tools that you would need that would help you implement some of these strategies?

• What are some of the things that would make it difficult for people to [INSERT health topic or behavior]?

• What could, or has, been done to make it easier – to overcome some of the barriers you described?

Comparisons of Messages

50. Now, I’m going to ask you to compare the messages I have shown you. Please select the top [INSERT NUMBER] messages that would encourage you to [INSERT ACTION]. There is a paper in front of you, please write the letters of your top [INSERT NUMBER] messages on the paper. What are those?

51. Now, out of the [INSERT NUMBER] messages you picked, choose the one message that would most encourage you to [INSERT ACTION]. Circle this on your piece of paper. What made you choose this one?

52. OK, now take a look at the rest of the messages. Are there any that you do not think will work? If yes, which ones? For each one, tell me what it is about the message that you don’t like. Please mark those down on your sheet in the box next to the red flag.

53. Are there any that you strongly dislike? If yes, which ones? For each one, tell me what it is about the message that you don’t like. Please mark those down on your sheet in the box next to the frowning face.

54. Can you think of an idea or message that we did not present that might motivate you to [INSERT ACTION]? What is it?

Closing

Ok, we are pretty much out of time.

Excuse me for one moment while I see if the people observing have any questions that I have not asked. I will be right back.

Interviewer steps out to check to see if there are any additional questions.

Thank you for your participation. There is a brochure for you to take with you if you would like. It has information about HIV/AIDS and locations where you can get further information. Have a good day/evening.

13