Advance Letter and Study Brochure

APPENDIX C
ADVANCE LETTER AND STUDY BROCHURE

Low Incentive Version

January 2, 2011

Dear Resident:

WE NEED YOUR HELP! The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is conducting a
new survey called the National Food Study. Households all across America will tell us
important facts about the food they obtain to feed their families.
The National Food Study will answer some basic questions about U.S. households:




How much do they spend on food for their family?
How much food comes from supermarkets? Restaurants? School cafeterias?
How much does food cost at these places?

This information will help us improve our programs and to help assure that all Americans have
access to a healthy diet at affordable prices.

How can you help? A professional interviewer will contact you in the weeks ahead to see
if you qualify for this survey. He or she will show you an official identification card. You will be
asked to answer questions about your family, the places where you and your family get food, and
the types of food that you get.

You will be compensated for your time! The primary food shopper in your
family will receive $75 for participating fully in the study. You will also get $20 for each
additional member who participates fully. A four person household can receive $135 for full
participation.

We will keep your information private. By law, all the information collected for
this survey about you and your household will be kept private and confidential. Any disclosure
of information that could identify you or your household is subject to a severe penalty of jail
time, a fine, or both.

We need you! Your address was selected at random. Your participation is important. We
need to interview every household in our sample to get a complete and accurate picture. To learn
more, see the enclosed study brochure, go to our website at www.usdafoodsurvey.org, or call
866-275-8659.
Sincerely,

Dr. Katherine Smith, Administrator
Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
1800 M St, NW
Washington, DC 20036

High Incentive Version

January 2, 2011

Dear Resident:

WE NEED YOUR HELP! The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is conducting a
new survey called the National Food Study. Households all across America will tell us
important facts about the food they obtain to feed their families.
The National Food Study will answer some basic questions about U.S. households:




How much do they spend on food for their family?
How much food comes from supermarkets? Restaurants? School cafeterias?
How much does food cost at these places?

This information will help us improve our programs and to help assure that all Americans have
access to a healthy diet at affordable prices.

How can you help? A professional interviewer will contact you in the weeks ahead to see
if you qualify for this survey. He or she will show you an official identification card. You will be
asked to answer questions about your family, the places where you and your family get food, and
the types of food that you get.

You will be compensated for your time! The primary food shopper in your
family will receive $125 for participating fully in the study. You will also get $25 for each
additional member who participates fully. A four person household can receive $200 for full
participation.

We will keep your information private. By law, all the information collected for
this survey about you and your household will be kept private and confidential. Any disclosure
of information that could identify you or your household is subject to a severe penalty of jail
time, a fine, or both.

We need you! Your address was selected at random. Your participation is important. We
need to interview every household in our sample to get a complete and accurate picture. To learn
more, see the enclosed study brochure, go to our website at www.usdafoodsurvey.org, or call
866-275-8659.
Sincerely,

Dr. Katherine Smith, Administrator
Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
1800 M St, NW
Washington, DC 20036

Will the information
I provide be kept
confidential?

If you have questions
about the study:
Call 1-866-275-8659

Yes. Your responses will be grouped
with others and all names will be
removed.
Deciding to take part in the study,
or not, will have no effect on any
benefits or services you receive—
now or in the future.

¿La información que
yo proporciono será
guardada en forma
confidencial?

Si usted tiene alguna
pregunta sobre el estudio:
Llame al 1-866-275-8659

Sponsored by U.S. Department of Agriculture

Conducted by Mathematica Policy Research

Sí. Sus respuestas serán agrupadas
con las de otras personas y todos los
nombres serán extraídos.
La decisión de tomar parte en el
estudio, o no, no tendrá efecto alguno
sobre los beneficios que usted recibe
– ni ahora ni en el futuro.

P.O. Box 2393, Princeton, NJ 08543-2393
866-275-8659
According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays
a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is
xxxx-xxxx. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average
4.65 hours 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.

The

National
Food Study

Sponsored
by the U.S. Department
of Agriculture

El

Estudio
Nacional de la
Alimentación

Auspiciado por el
Dpto. de Agricultura
de los EE.UU.

You are Invited . . .
to take part in the National Food Study
sponsored by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture. Participants will save receipts,
keep a diary of food
they get outside the
home, and complete
three interviews
over a week’s time.

Why do you want to know
about the foods I get?
Knowing about the food Americans eat,
where they get their food, and how much
they pay will help USDA improve the
programs and services provided throughout
the United States.

¿Por qué quieren saber sobre los
alimentos que yo obtengo?

Usted está invitado(a) . . .
A tomar parte en el Estudio Nacional de la
Alimentación auspiciado por el Dpto. de
Agricultura de los EE.UU. Los participantes guardarán recibos, mantendrán
un diario de los alimentos
que obtienen fuera del
hogar, y completarán tres
entrevistas durante el
periodo de una semana.

Saber sobre los alimentos que comen las
personas en el país, de dónde obtienen sus
alimentos y cuánto pagan, ayudará al Dpto. de
Agricultura (USDA) a mejorar los programas
y servicios
proporcionados
alrededor de
los Estados
Unidos.

Why Should I Sign-up?
Your household has been scientifically
selected to represent others like you in
this important study.

You can receive up to $100
for being part of this study.

¿Por qué debo inscribirme
al estudio?
Su hogar ha sido
seleccionado en
forma científica para
representar a otros
como usted en este
importante estudio.

Usted puede
recibir hasta
$100 (cien
dólares) por ser
parte de este
estudio.