Air Quality Information Initiative

Attachment C – Moderator Guide

CDC Air Quality Information Project

Moderator Guide

WELCOME (5 MINUTES)

Thank you for coming today. My name is _______, and I’m from RTI International, a non-profit research organization. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is sponsoring this research. The purpose of this small group discussion is to hear your thoughts on messages and materials about air quality and health. Your feedback is very important to us, and we appreciate your time today. Our session will last about 1 hour.

Before we start, did anyone have any questions about the consent forms that you signed in the waiting area? [ANSWER CONSENT QUESTIONS, IF ANY]

Next, I’d like to review a ground rules for our discussion:

• Recording. We are recording today’s session. I want to give you my full attention and not take a lot of notes. At the end of our project, I’ll summarize our discussion and the recording will help me to do so.

• Observers. Some other project team members may be listening to this discussion on the phone. This is because they want to hear your feedback directly from you.

• Privacy. Your identity and anything you say will remain secure. Only the recruiter has access to your full name and contact information, and they will not share that information with anyone after today’s session. When I summarize our discussion, I will not refer to anyone by name.

• No Right or Wrong Answers. Most importantly, there are no right or wrong answers. We want your honest opinions about the materials we’ll be reviewing today. I did not create the materials, so please be honest and direct in your answers.

• Speaking One at a Time. Because we are recording, please try to speak one at a time. I may occasionally interrupt you to make sure that everyone gets a chance to speak and that responses are accurately recorded.

• Cell Phones. If you haven’t already, please silence your cell phone.

• Restroom. If you need to use the restroom during our discussion, please feel free to leave. However, please return as soon as possible.

Do you have any questions before we begin?

CDC estimates the average public reporting burden for this collection of information as 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 Information Collection Review Office, MS D-74; 1600 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, Ga. 30333; OMB No. 0920-0572.

WARM-UP (5 MINUTES)

First, I’d like us to go around and introduce ourselves. Please introduce yourself by telling us:

1. Your first name

2. Your hometown (where you grew up)

3. Complete this sentence: “I believe I am in good health when…”

KNOWLEDGE OF AIR QUALITY ISSUES (10 MINUTES)

Next, I’d like to talk about air quality and your health.

1. In your own words, what does “air quality” mean?

   • What can cause poor air quality?

   • How would you know if the air quality in your area was poor?

2. Please tell me what you know about air quality and how it affects people’s health.

• Who is most likely to be affected by poor air quality?

• How does air quality affect your health compared to other people’s health? (In other words, how does your risk compare to other people’s risk?)

3. How often do you talk with your doctor or other health professionals about how air quality might affect your health?

[IF DISCUSSED]

• Who initiates these discussions (i.e., you or your doctor)?

• Did something prompt you and your doctor to discuss air quality (e.g., had trouble breathing, feel worse when you’re outdoors)?

• What did your doctor say about how air quality affects your health?

• What recommendations or suggestions did your doctor offer related to air quality?

[IF NOT DISCUSSED]

• Why haven’t you talked about air quality with your doctor?

• What would prompt you to talk about air quality with your doctor?

4. How often do you look for information about air quality?

• Where do you look for that information?

• What do you know about the Air Quality Index (AQI)? Where could you find the AQI? Who hosts and updates the AQI?

FEEDBACK ON CONCEPTS, MESSAGES, AND MATERIALS (30 MINUTES)

Concept / Material A (10 minutes)

I am going to show each of you the same handout about air quality and health, and I’d like you to rate the handout on several dimensions. You can mark your answers on the rating sheets in front of you. Once you finish, I’ll ask you for more detailed feedback on the handout.

[PROVIDE PARTICIPANTS WITH RATING SHEETS]

[PROVIDE PARTICIPANTS WITH MATERIAL A]

Rating Sheet

The rating sheet includes the following statements. Participants will rate each statement using a 5-point scale—(1) Strongly disagree  (5) Strongly agree.

• Overall, I liked this handout.

• This handout grabbed my attention.

• This handout was confusing.

• The information in this handout would convince me to change my behavior.

• The information in this handout was relevant to me.

• I learned something new from this handout.

• This handout spoke to me personally.

Now I’d like to hear your thoughts and reactions to the handout.

5. First Impression. What was your first impression of the handout?

• What did you like about it? Why?

• What did you dislike about it? Why?

6. Purpose / Main Message. In your own words, what was the purpose of this handout?

   • What was the main message contained in it?

   • What parts of the handout especially caught your attention (e.g., visuals, information)?

7. Terminology / Readability. How easy or difficult was it to understand the information in this handout?

   • What words or phrases might be confusing to other people?

   • How could we make the information less confusing?

8. Visual Design. How do you feel about the way the handout looks, visually?

   • What do you like about the visuals? What do you dislike about them?

   • What would you change about the colors and graphics in the handout?

9. Audience. Who do you think should receive this handout? (In other words, who is it trying to reach?)

• How relevant is this handout for you personally?

• How useful would this handout be for your family?

• How useful would it be for your doctor?

10. Trust. How much do you trust the information in the handout?

• Where do you think this information came from (i.e., source of info)?

11. Behavioral Intentions. What would you do differently after reading a handout like this?

    • Why is that?

12. Channels / Distribution. How would you like to get the information in this handout?

    • Where would you go to look for the type of information contained in the handout?

Concept / Material B (10 minutes)

I am going to show each of you the same handout about air quality and health, and I’d like you to rate the handout on several dimensions. You can mark your answers on the rating sheets in front of you. Once you finish, I’ll ask you for more detailed feedback on the handout.

[PROVIDE PARTICIPANTS WITH MATERIAL B]

Rating Sheet

The rating sheet includes the following statements. Participants will rate each statement using a 5-point scale—(1) Strongly disagree  (5) Strongly agree.

• Overall, I liked this handout.

• This handout grabbed my attention.

• This handout was confusing.

• The information in this handout would convince me to change my behavior.

• The information in this handout was relevant to me.

• I learned something new from this handout.

• This handout spoke to me personally.

Now I’d like to hear your thoughts and reactions to the handout.

13. First Impression. What was your first impression of the handout?

• What did you like about it? Why?

• What did you dislike about it? Why?

14. Purpose / Main Message. In your own words, what was the purpose of this handout?

    • What was the main message contained in it?

    • What parts of the handout especially caught your attention (e.g., visuals, information)?

15. Terminology / Readability. How easy or difficult was it to understand the information in this handout?

    • What words or phrases might be confusing to other people?

    • How could we make the information less confusing?

16. Visual Design. How do you feel about the way the handout looks, visually?

    • What do you like about the visuals? What do you dislike about them?

    • What would you change about the colors and graphics in the handout?

17. Audience. Who do you think should receive this handout? (In other words, who is it trying to reach?)

• How relevant is this handout for you personally?

• How useful would this handout be for your family?

• How useful would it be for your doctor?

18. Trust. How much do you trust the information in the handout?

• Where do you think this information came from (i.e., source of info)?

19. Behavioral Intentions. What would you do differently after reading a handout like this?

    • Why is that?

20. Channels / Distribution. How would you like to receive this handout?

    • Where would you go to look for the type of information contained in the handout?

Concept / Material C (10 minutes)

I am going to show each of you the same handout about air quality and health, and I’d like you to rate the handout on several dimensions. You can mark your answers on the rating sheets in front of you. Once you finish, I’ll ask you for more detailed feedback on the handout.

[PROVIDE PARTICIPANTS WITH MATERIAL C]

Rating Sheet

The rating sheet includes the following statements. Participants will rate each statement using a 5-point scale—(1) Strongly disagree  (5) Strongly agree.

• Overall, I liked this handout.

• This handout grabbed my attention.

• This handout was confusing.

• The information in this handout would convince me to change my behavior.

• The information in this handout was relevant to me.

• I learned something new from this handout.

• This handout spoke to me personally.

Now I’d like to hear your thoughts and reactions to the handout.

21. First Impression. What was your first impression of the handout?

• What did you like about it? Why?

• What did you dislike about it? Why?

22. Purpose / Main Message. In your own words, what was the purpose of this handout?

    • What was the main message contained in it?

    • What parts of the handout especially caught your attention (e.g., visuals, information)?

23. Terminology / Readability. How easy or difficult was it to understand the information in this handout?

    • What words or phrases might be confusing to other people?

    • How could we make the information less confusing?

24. Visual Design. How do you feel about the way the handout looks, visually?

    • What do you like about the visuals? What do you dislike about them?

    • What would you change about the colors and graphics in the handout?

25. Audience. Who do you think should receive this handout? (In other words, who is it trying to reach?)

• How relevant is this handout for you personally?

• How useful would this handout be for your family?

• How useful would it be for your doctor?

26. Trust. How much do you trust the information in the handout?

• Where do you think this information came from (i.e., source of info)?

27. Behavioral Intentions. What would you do differently after reading a handout like this?

    • Why is that?

28. Channels / Distribution. How would you like to receive this handout?

    • Where would you go to look for the type of information contained in the handout?

COMPARING CONCEPTS, MESSAGES, AND MATERIALS (5 MINUTES)

Now I’d like each of you to select your favorite handout from the three we discussed. On your sheet of paper, please mark your favorite with a star or asterisk.

29. Which handout was your favorite?

    • Why did you like that one best?

    • What could we do to make that handout even better or more appealing?

30. Which handout was your least favorite?

    • Why didn’t you like that one?

    • What could we do to make that handout better or more appealing?

31. Which handout would be most likely to change your behavior?

    • What would you do differently after reading that handout?

CLOSING (5 MINUTES)

Your feedback on the handouts has been very helpful.

32. What else should we know about the handouts that we haven’t already discussed?

33. What else should we know about air quality and health that we haven’t discussed?

34. What questions do you have for me?

Excuse me for one moment while I see if the people observing have any questions. I will be right back.

[CHECK WHETHER OBSERVERS HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS]

Thank you again for your participation. We really value your feedback!

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