HCS_SSA_ATTACH 5_FAMILY BROCHURE_SEPTEMBER2011 FINAL for OMB

SSA Attachment 5

H EALTHY COMMUNITIES STUDY

Healthy Communities Study

Brochure for Families

FRONT COVER

Headline:

The Healthy Communities Study

… your opportunity to help improve the health of your community’s children

BACK COVER

Headline:

Why Participate In The Healthy Communities Study?

• Contribute to children’s health in your community and nationwide

• Participating is simple, costs nothing, and involves no medical procedures

• You don’t have to answer any questions you don’t want to answer

• Your answers and information will be kept strictly confidential

• You and your child will receive a special gift for participating

• This is the largest study of its type ever conducted in the United States

INSIDE

Headline:

Your Questions Answered About The Healthy Communities Study

Body Copy:

What Is The Healthy Communities Study?

The Healthy Communities Study is a nationwide study conducted by the National Institutes of Health -- the nation’s medical research agency -- designed to identify which features of community activities are associated with good nutrition, physical activity, and a healthy weight among children.

This 5-year study is the first of its kind, and the results will help government and community leaders across the country choose nutrition and activity programs or policies that incorporate these features, to hopefullymake a difference in children’s health.

How Will This Study Work?

We are inviting children and families from 279 communities across the country with over 23,000 children (ages 3-15) to participate in this study.

In each community, we will interview 78 parents and their children (ages 3-15) in their homes to find out about their individual nutrition and physical activity habits.

We will also survey community leaders about the programs and policies they have developed to help children engage in healthy nutrition and healthy physical activity behaviors.

And we will observe the community environment as to how it promotes healthy eating and physical exercise. For example, in each community we will visit a few local schools to see what food and drink choices and what types of physical activities they offer students.

Who Can Take Part In This Study?

If you are eligible to participate (see below for more information), we will call to arrange an interview with you and one of your children in your home at a time convenient for you.

A trained, professional interviewer will conduct the interview, which will take about one hour and 15 minutes. You and your child will be asked a series of survey questions, and your and your child’s height and weight will be taken.

We will also ask to have access to your child’s medical records going back ten years, so we can observe changes in your child’s height and weight over time. All information will be kept confidential.

In some cases, we may ask a child to wear an accelerometer for a week. An accelerometer is a small device (like a pedometer) that is worn around the waist and records a child’s activity.

Finally, we may contact you one to two years later to participate in a Web-based or telephone survey to ask follow-up questions about diet and physical activity. It will take about 35 minutes.

What are the benefits of participating in this study?

The information you provide will be used by government and community leaders to improve the health of communities for children and their families. You can be proud of your willingness to contribute essential information to this effort.

You and your child will receive gifts for participating. You will receive a money order to spend as you wish. With your approval, your child will also receive a gift appropriate to his or her age.

Is there a cost or risk to participating in the study?

No. There is no cost or risk to participating in this study. All information collected is confidential. There are no medical tests involved.

Everything will be fully explained to you and you will be asked to sign a consent form before the interview begins.

Your participation is voluntary and you are free to choose not to answer any question or to stop participating in the study at any time.

How Will I Know If My Family Has Been Selected For This Study?

Your family has already been selected to participate, but you should call our toll-free 800 number or go to our Web site to see if you meet all the eligibility requirements.

Our team will also call you to give you full details and answer any questions you may have about participating in this study.

Remember, this is your chance to play a role in improving the health of our children. We hope you will accept our invitation and make your voice heard!

In a box:

To learn more, please call us at 800-XXX-XXXX. Or visit our Web site at www.www.www

The Healthy Communities Study is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, including primary funding by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, with additional support from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, and the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences at the National Institutes of Health. Additional collaborators include the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Research Partners for the study include Battelle Memorial Institute, the University of South Carolina, the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Kansas and Examination Management Services, Inc.

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for the Healthy Communities Study, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health