Men/Women Reproductive Age (18-49) - Focus Group Guide

[Form Approved]

OMB No. 0920-0572

Expiration 3/31/2018

Submission under

0920-0572 Health Message Testing System

Attachment 5: Consumer Message Testing for Zika Response Project

Men and Women of Reproductive Age Focus Group Guide

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Focus Group Guide for Message and Materials Testing in the United States for the

Domestic Readiness Initiative for Zika Virus

Men and Women of Reproductive Age

Introduction

Welcome and thank you for agreeing to participate in this focus group. My name is __________ and my role is to guide the discussion. I’m not an expert in the topic we’ll discuss, so I have no particular agenda or point of view. I work for Abt Associates, a private research organization. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is sponsoring this health communication initiative. I did not develop any of the messages you will be seeing so I want to get your honest and frank opinions about them.

The purpose of this focus group is to hear your views and opinions on important health topics concerning Zika virus. We will also ask for your feedback on a few materials. Your insights are very important to us, and CDC will use your feedback to improve the materials you will see. Your time today is appreciated. We will have about one hour and fifteen minutes for our discussion.

Before we begin, I want to point a few things out:

• Most importantly, there are no “right” or “wrong” answers to the questions I’m going to ask. Please relax and enjoy the discussion.

• We are recording this discussion to ensure that we capture all the information that is provided. 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 recording when writing the report.

• Also, some of the people working on this project are observing or listening to this discussion so that they can hear your opinions directly and take notes so that your opinions are accurately captured. However, your identity and anything you personally say here will remain secure to the extent allowable by law. Only the facility knows your name, address, and phone number, and this information will not be given to anyone and no one will contact you after this focus group is over. Everything you have to say will be kept private and any identifying information will be removed from reports and other data. 

• Information learned from these discussions may be presented in documents or materials like reports, conference presentations or posters, or publications. The information may also be shared with other health departments and organizations working on Zika to help them be prepared or respond to Zika in their areas. Please know that the information you share will not be linked to your name or any other identifying information.

• 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. Your participation in this project is completely voluntary.

• Be sure to only use first names during the discussion or use a made-up name, if you prefer. Please do not use your last name. Also, if you bring up a friend or other person you know as an example in our discussions, 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.

Finally, a few requests before we begin:

• Please respect the other participants’ opinions.

• Please maintain privacy- what is said here remains here.

• Please speak one at a time.

• Please turn off your cell phone or put it in vibrate or silent mode.

At the end of the focus group, you will receive $50 as a token of our appreciation for participating. [At the end, there will be a few minutes to address questions you may have about Zika with the people observing this focus group.]

I. Focus Group Warm-Up [5 MINUTES]

Before we begin our discussion, let’s spend a little time getting to know one another. I’d like us to go around and have each of you introduce yourself by first name only, where you are from, and your favorite thing you’ve done so far this summer [INSERT HERE].

II. Zika Knowledge and Beliefs [5 MINUTES]

First I am going to ask a few questions about Zika.

1. What you have seen or heard about Zika? What comes to mind when you think about Zika?

PROBE:

• How is it spread?

• What do you know about sexual transmission of Zika?

• Is Zika in your area?

• What are the symptoms of Zika?

• What are the potential health effects of Zika virus during pregnancy?

2. What questions do you have about Zika? What would you like to know more about?

PROBE:

• How to prevent Zika?

• How it affects your body?

• How it affects fetuses?

• How it can be treated?

3. How concerned are you that you or your family might get Zika? And why do you feel like that?

4. What are the steps that someone can take to prevent getting infected with Zika?

III. Sources of Information [5 MINUTES]

5. How do you get most of your information about Zika?

PROBE:

• For media sources: TV, radio, billboards or Internet, social media

  • (Probe for specific channels, social media sites, websites, local media channels vs. national channels, print or online, Internet search engines, news websites, government websites, etc.)

• Clinic or health center? Doctor? Other healthcare provider?

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)?

• Local or state health department?

• Family and friends? Schools? Work? Church, house of worship or other religious organization?

• Other sources?

6. Of the sources that you named, which would you say are the most trustworthy? (HMTS 89D)

7. Of the sources that you named, which would you say are the least trustworthy? (HMTS 89D)

[NOTE TO MODERATOR: SKIP #10 IF CDC OR LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS ARE DISCUSSED UNDER QUESTIONS 8 OR 9.]

8. How do you feel about [ADD SOURCES] as a source of information for Zika? (HMTS 90D)

PROBES:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)?

• Local or state health department?

IV. Materials - Why We Are All Responsible for Zika Prevention 45 minutes (up to 15 per material)

MATERIALS LIST FOR MODERATOR REFERENCE

1. Why We Are All Responsible for Zika Prevention (1a. Without text; 1b. With text)

2. Protect Your Family and Community- How Zika Spreads

3. Picking and Using an Insect Repellent

Now I want to ask you about some ideas for a health education initiative that might be used to provide information about Zika. We are in the planning stages of the health communication initiative, so we want to get your opinions about some fact sheets that provide information about Zika. The feedback you give us will help us to make changes. We will go through them one at a time. Please do not compare the factsheets to each other.

[NOTE TO MODERATOR: DO NOT READ MATERIAL OUT LOUD TO PARTICIPANTS. LET PARTICIPANT READ EACH FACT SHEET BEFORE QUESTIONS ABOUT IT BEGIN. WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT THEY READ AND UNDERSTAND WHEN GIVEN THE MATERIAL.]

MATERIAL #1a – Why We Are All Responsible for Zika Prevention, without text (1 minute to read)

The first fact sheet we’ll look at is “Why We Are All Responsible for Zika Prevention” [limited text version].

9. What do you think is the main idea that this fact sheet is trying to get across? (HMTS 1D)

PROBE:

• Was this a new idea or something that you’ve seen or heard before?(HMTS 12D)

• Did you learn anything new? What? (HMTS 30E)

10. What do you think about the images in this fact sheet? (HMTS 5E)

PROBE:

• Would the images grab your attention?

• Are they clear on their own?

• What changes would you make to improve the images?

[NOTE TO MODERATOR: PLEASE COLLECT ALL COPIES OF “Why We Are All Responsible for Zika Prevention, without text”. MOVE ON TO THE NEXT MATERIAL.]

MATERIAL #1b – Why We Are All Responsible for Zika Prevention, with text (1 minute to read)

Now we’ll look at a different version of this fact sheet “Why We Are All Responsible for Zika Prevention” [Full text version]. Now, you can see the text has been added. Please read the fact sheet. Do not worry if you do not get through the whole fact sheet (1 minute to read). We will review and talk about this fact sheet.

11. What do you think overall about this material?

PROBE:

• What were your first impressions? (HMTS 7D)

• What did you like about it? (HMTS 7D)

• What didn’t you like about it? (HMTS 7D)

12. What do you think the main idea this fact sheet is trying to get across now? (HMTS 1D)

PROBE:

• Does the addition of the text change the message? How?

• Does the text make the message clearer? Less clear? How?

1. Do you think this [MATERIAL/CONCEPT/MESSAGE] was developed for someone like you? (HMTS 24D)

PROBE:

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

14. Does the fact sheet make you think or feel differently about protecting yourself, your partner, or your family from Zika? (HMTS 1F)

PROBE:

• How motivated do you feel after seeing this message?

• What is it about this fact sheet that motivates you?

• What are the reasons this fact sheet does not motivate you?

MATERIAL #2 Protect Your Family and Community- How Zika Spreads (3 minutes to read)

Now I’m going to show you another Zika material. This one is called: Protect Your Family and Community- How Zika Spreads. To start off I’d like for you to take 3 minutes to read this fact sheet. Don’t worry if you don’t make it through the whole material in the time given. With the red marker, please circle anything on the sheet, image or words, that were confusing or you did not understand. Mark as much or as little as you want. Do not put your name on the sheets. When you are done reading and marking the fact sheet, I will collect them from you.

[NOTE TO MODERATOR: Collect sheets. Display larger version of material or hand out a clean version. Then ask the questions below.]

15. What do you think about this material? (HMTS 7D)

PROBE:

• What did you like about it?

• What didn’t you like about it?

16. What do you think is the main idea that this fact sheet is trying to get across? (HMTS 1D)

PROBE:

• Was this new information or something that you’ve heard before?

• Did you learn anything new? What?

17. What do you think about the images in this fact sheet? (HMTS 5E)

PROBE:

• What changes would you make to improve the images?

18. Do you think this fact sheet was developed for someone like you? (HMTS 24D)

PROBE:

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

• If not, who would you say this message is trying to reach?

[NOTE TO MODERATOR: After quick review of the marked-up sheets, highlight the most commonly circled items. And ask the questions below.]

19. A few of you circled or marked {XXXXX} as confusing or you did not understand it. Can you tell us what was confusing about it? What made you circle or mark it? (HMTS 36D)

PROBE:

• What would be a better way of saying/portraying this? (HMTS 33D)

20. Does the fact sheet make you think or feel differently about protecting yourself, your partner, or your family from Zika? (HMTS 1F)

21. Where would you like to see this fact sheet or this information? (HMTS 69D)

PROBE:

• What locations in particular would you like to see this information? (e.g., work, schools, health clinics, public places like shopping malls, restaurants)

• Would you like to see this information on the internet or social media? What web pages or social media in particular? (e.g., Facebook)

• Where would it need to be so that you would pay attention to it?

MATERIAL #3

Now I’m going to show you another Zika material. This one is called: Picking and Using an Insect Repellent. This is the last material we will look at today. Please take 3 minutes to read this fact sheet. Don’t worry if you don’t make it through the whole material in the time given. With the red marker, please circle anything on the sheet, image or words, that were confusing or you did not understand. Mark as much or as little as you want. Remember, don’t put your name on it. When you are done reading and marking the fact sheet, I will collect them from you.

[NOTE TO MODERATOR: Collect sheets. Display larger version of material or hand out a clean version. Then ask the questions below.]

22. What do you think is the main idea that this material is trying to get across? (HMTS 1D)

PROBE:

• Was this a new idea or something that you’ve heard before? (HMTS 12D)

• Did you learn anything new? What? (HMTS 30E)

23. What do you think about this material?

PROBE:

• What were your first impressions?

• What did you like about it?

• What didn’t you like about it?

24. Did you learn anything new about picking an insect repellent after reading this material? (HMTS 55E)

25. Would you feel more confident about picking and using an insect repellent after reading this material? Why or Why not? (HMTS 18F)

PROBE:

• What new information helps you feel more confident in selecting a repellent?

• What more information would you need to know to help you take action?

26. What additional information would you add to this material to help people pick a repellent or feel confident using it?

PROBE:

• Any other ways this [MATERIAL/CONCEPT/MESSAGE] could be improved? (HMTS 33D)

27. Do you think this material was developed for someone like you? (HMTS 24D)

PROBE:

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

• If not, who would you say this message is trying to reach?

28. A few of you circled or marked {XXXXX} as confusing or you did not understand it. Can you tell us why you circle or mark it? (HMTS 36D)

PROBE:

• What would be a better way of saying/portraying this?

29. Where would you like to see this fact sheet or this information? (HMTS 66D)

PROBE:

• What locations in particular would you like to see this information? (e.g., work, schools, health clinics, public places like shopping malls, restaurants)

• Would you like to see this information on the internet or social media? What web pages or social media in particular? (e.g., Facebook)

• Where would it need to be so that you would pay attention to it? (HMTS 65D)

V. Wrap-Up [2 minutes]

After all that we have talked about today, I have a final question.

30. Can you think of anything that we did not talk about today that might motivate you to take protective actions to prevent Zika? What is it?

31. Those are all of the questions I have, but before we end, do you have any closing thoughts or opinions you would like to share?

VI. Focus Group Closing [5 minutes]

I would like to thank you for coming here today and participating in this discussion. Your opinions are very helpful and will help us improve the materials that we are developing for this health education initiative. Here is a factsheet with information on Zika. For more information you can go to the website on the factsheet or you can call the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention toll-free line to ask questions in English or Spanish at: 800-CDC-INFO

32. Now the people who observed this focus group will take a few minutes to address any questions you may have about Zika virus.

[NOTE TO MODERATOR: TAKE VERBATIM NOTES ON THESE QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.]

THANK, GIVE INCENTIVE, AND OBTAIN RECEIPT

Men and Women of Reproductive Age Focus Group Guide -- p. 14