Attachment A - Protocol Summary

ATTACHMENT A: Protocol Summary

The Response to a Nuclear Detonation: Messages for the First 72 Hours

CDC Spanish Message Testing

October 2012

Goals:

1. Explore effectiveness of Spanish language messages prepared by the IND Communications Working Group.

2. Provide guidance on future nuclear detonation communication initiatives.

Objectives:

1. Explore concerns & information needs of Spanish-speaking people during the first 72 hours after an IND incident.

2. Evaluate the extent to which messages are relevant, comprehensible, credible, & motivate desired actions.

3. Identify special considerations when communicating with Spanish-speaking populations.

Target Audience: The target audience for this research is the public whose primary language is Spanish.

Selected Messages:

Given the intensity of the subject matter, it is not feasible to test all messages developed by the federal interagency working group. CDC will select & translate 7 messages considered highest priority during the immediate nuclear detonation response phase. Narrowing the selection to 7 allows for optimal depth and substance of discussion in order to best evaluate public response to the guidance provided in the message. The proposed selected messages are:

• What should the public do to protect themselves? (Message 18)

• What is being done to protect those in schools, hospitals, & nursing homes? (Message 19)

• Is the air safe to breathe? (Message 20)

• Are food and medications safe? (Message 21)

• Is the water safe to drink? (Message 22)

• How do I decontaminate myself? (Message 68)

• What are the health effects of radiation exposure? (Message 80)

OMB Approval:

CDC will seek OMB approval by submitting an ICR to its existing Generic approval for message testing [Health Message Testing System (HMTS)]. Questions in the data collection instruments will focus on 3 areas:

• Comprehension (do you understand the message?)

• Believability (do you believe the actions described in the message will protect you?)

• Self-Efficacy (are you confident you can perform the actions described in the message?)

Other questions will focus on sources & additional information desired by focus group participants.

Methodology:

Data will be collected using focus groups with up to 48 total participants recruited by commercial market research firms. Three focus groups will be held in 2 major metropolitan cities (a total of 6 focus groups). Cities will be chosen based on by the Department of Homeland Security’s Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) as high-risk areas for an IND event. Focus groups will be diverse in gender, age, country of origin, & education level.

Each focus group will have between 6 & 8 participants & is expected to last about 90 minutes. A professional moderator will guide the discussion of the focus groups, which will be conducted entirely in Spanish. Groups will follow the following general outline:

• Scenario depicting an IND incident (video)

• Reactions to a selection of the messages (delivered first in audio, then print)

• Identification of additional desired information & preferred methods for receiving information

The focus groups will be audio-recorded & transcripts will be prepared from these recordings. Transcripts will be translated into English. Interested observers may choose to attend focus groups in person for a simultaneous translation.