SNAP Teen Nutrition Pilot Test (State Agencies - Teachers)

OMB Control # 0584-0606

Expiration Date: 03/31/19

Attachment B – MODERATOR PRE – DISCUSSION GUIDE FOR FOCUS

GROUPS WITH HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Exp. Date 06/30/2016

Attachment B

Moderator PRE – Discussion Guide for Focus Groups with High School Students

Timing: 90 minutes

OMB BURDEN STATEMENT: 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 0584­0606.

The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 90 minutes (1.5 hours) per response for the entire focus group, including time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather and maintain the data needed and complete and review the collection of information.

FOR OMB: All language in the survey that is BOLD and/or IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS is language for the moderator and OMB review only.

I. INTRODUCTION 15 minutes

1. Moderator introduction:

1. My name is [INSERT]. I’m a researcher and trained moderator working with KRC Research. Thank you so much for agreeing to participate in today’s discussion.

2. We are conducting these discussions with students on behalf of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service.

3. Today’s conversation is about food, nutrition, and physical activity. The discussion will be about 90 minutes long. Everything you say is private and no individual will be identified.

4. I’m not an expert on food, nutrition, and exercise. I’m here to guide the discussion and hear about your food and activity choices, thoughts, ideas, and opinions.

5. To get started, let me explain how our discussion will work today:

   1. There are no wrong answers—we want to hear what all of you personally think.

   2. I’d like to hear from everyone here. Please speak one at a time, and let everyone have some time to speak. You may have different opinions. That’s ok­­we want to hear all of your views. Each person’s opinion is important.

   3. We’re recording the discussion in an audio format. This is so I won’t need to slow down to take notes. With the recording, I’ll have an accurate record of the conversation for when I’m summarizing the discussion in a report for FNS. Again, no individuals will be identified or associated with the feedback you share today.

   4. Any questions?

2. Participant introductions:

1. To start, let’s go around the table. Briefly, I’d like each of you to tell us your first name and what you like to do in your free time.

2. MINDSET AND ATTITUDES ON SCHOOL AND CLASSES 20 minutes

FOR OMB ­ Moderator Goal: Understand perceptions, thoughts, feelings about their school, favorite and lease favorite classes. Ask about and understand what they know about their upcoming health and/or PE class.

Let’s get started!

1. First, I would like to learn about your school. Let’s go around, and everyone tell the group something you think is unique about your school.

   1. (EVERYONE SHARES THEIR PERSPECTIVE)

   2. PROBE: Activities, teachers, events, interesting classes, extra­curricular activities (including sports), etc.

2. And, what is your favorite class in school?

   1. What makes this class your favorite? (MODERATOR WRITE ON LEFT SIDE OF EASEL REASONS FOR FAVORITE.) PROBE: Coursework, teacher, activities, etc.

   2. How does this class keep you interested? What is unique about it, compared to some of your other classes?

3. Now, what about a class you don’t like so much? What is this class? Why don’t you like it? (MODERATOR WRITE ON RIGHT SIDE OF EASEL REASONS FOR DISLIKE.)

   1. How could this class be improved?

4. What about your [INSERT CLASS TYPE]? As I understand it, everyone here will take a [INSERT APPROPRIATE CLASS NAME] during this fall semester.

   1. What do you expect to do and learn in that class?

      1. What do you think you’ll learn about? Is there anything you’re excited about?

      2. What would you like to learn about? [GET SPECIFICS]

      3. (PROBE: NUTRITION, FITNESS, HEALTHY EATING, COOKING, FOOD SHOPPING, DIFFERENT EXERCISES TO WORK DIFFERENT MUSCLES AND PARTS OF THE BODY.)

      4. Have you heard anything about this class? What did you hear? How does that influence your thinking about it?

      5. Is there anything that you’re uncertain about when it comes to this class? What are you uncertain about?

      6. What is the best thing that could happen in this class?

2. DEEP DIVE ON KEY CURRICULUM CONCEPTS 30 minutes

FOR OMB ­ Moderator Goal: Gain insight into the CURRENT mindset, attitudes, and influences related to nutrition and exercise and/or physical activity. Give more context (the ‘whys’) to some of the curriculum evaluation metrics.

Let’s switch gears a bit.

1. How important is it to you to make healthy food choices? For what reasons?

   1. What motivates you to want to make healthy food choices?

      1. PROBE: Friends/family influence, concern about being healthy in the future, concern about health issues that run in your family, etc.

      2. What about portion control? Are you motivated to control food portions?

      3. What motivates you to practice portion control when choosing your next meal, if you do?

   2. Where do you learn about eating healthy?

      1. Do you learn about healthy eating in school? Where?

      2. In what class (es)? What was that experience like? How was the topic taught? What would have made the class more fun or interesting?

   3. Do you ever look for information to determine if certain food is healthy or not? IF YES: Where do you look?

      1. How often do you try to figure out if a food is healthy or not?

   4. Who do you trust when it comes to information about healthy eating?

      1. Do you ever ask people about healthy eating? IF YES: Who do you ask?

   5. Who is a good influence on you when it comes to healthy eating? Anyone? Your parents? Other family members? Any friends who are a good influence?

2. How do you know when you are eating in a healthful way? What do you consider important to healthy eating?

   1. What are you looking for in a healthy food? (PROBE: CALORIES, INCORPORATING DIFFERENT FOOD GROUPS, DIFFERENT TYPES OF FOOD, SODIUM CONTENT, NUTRIENTS, ETC.)

      1. Do you practice portion control when choosing your next meal?

      2. How do you ….

   2. What about snacking? What sort of snacks are you eating?

      1. If you want a healthy snack, what are you looking for? What do you typically choose?

      2. Do you snack differently during the week than you do on the weekend? IF SO: How so?

      3. Does location play a factor, at home vs. not? How so?

      4. How does your schedule factor in (school, after school commitments, etc.)?

      5. What do you consider healthy snacks? How do you know if they’re healthy? (PROBE: LABEL READING, PRICE, ETC.)

3. What about a healthy meal? What components make up a healthy meal? (PROBE: FOOD GROUPS, CALORIES, NUTRIENTS, ETC.)

   1. How do you know if a meal is healthy?

   2. How often are you eating a healthy meal?

      1. How do you feel about this? Should you be eating more healthfully? What are the barriers to eating a healthy meal?

4. How often do you go food shopping?

   1. Are you food shopping with your family? For your family? For yourself?

      1. HANDCOUNT: How many of you have influence over what is purchased at the grocery store? How does that work?

      2. Is that the food you want? Overall, how healthy is the food that’s typically purchased? Explain what you mean by that?

      3. Are there other kinds of food that you want but don’t get? What are the barriers to getting what you want? (PRIOBE: PRICE, NECESSITY, LACK OF INFLUENCE, ETC.)

      4. Are there ways you can shop and get healthy choices on a budget? What are they?

      5. Are you looking at any labels on food packaging? Is it easy to understand what the labels mean? Are there times when you don’t understand what a label means? Give me an example.

5. How often do you cook?

   1. Do you enjoy cooking? What do you like about it? What could make it better?

      1. Are you or someone at home making healthy meals? How so?

   2. Do you ever look for recipes? Where do you look? Do you ask other people? Who?

      1. What are some ways to make recipes more healthful?

Now let’s talk about physical activity.

1. How interested are you in being physically active? How often do you currently exercise? (GO AROUND THE TABLE AND HAVE EVERYONE SHARE)

1. READ: For our purposes, we are going to use exercise and physical activity interchangeably. For this discussion, they mean the same thing.

2. What kind of exercise are you doing?

3. How important is being physically active to you? What makes you say that?

4. What is a healthy amount of exercise? How much exercise are you supposed to get if you have a healthy lifestyle? In a typical day? Over a week? Is the recommended amount of exercise different for guys and girls--or is it the same?

2. What are the reasons you exercise?

1. What are some of the benefits?

   1. Do you feel that you have the knowledge to lead a physically active lifestyle? What makes you say that? What makes it easier or harder to have a physically active lifestyle? (PROBE: knowledge of how to be physically active, time, school work, a place to be physically active, etc.)

   2. How could you improve this aspect of your life?

3. Do you usually exercise alone, or with someone else? IF WITH OTHERS: Your friends? Your teammates? Your family?

1. What motivates you to get regular exercise?

   1. Does playing games or competing against another team or individual make exercising more appealing? How so?

2. What about friends and family members? Are you exercising with them?

   1. What type of activities are you participating in together? How often?

3. What are the biggest barriers to being active on a regular basis? Are there any ways to overcome these barriers?

1. Can anyone exercise or does it require a special skill? What makes you say that?

2. CURRICULUM INTRODUCTION 20 minutes

FOR OMB ­ Goal: Share the program description with the students and gauge their reactions and explore expectations.

1. Part of your [INSERT CLASS NAME] this semester will include a program about nutrition and physical activity. The design of this new program is intended to make learning about these topics more interactive, hands on, fun and most of all, applicable to real life.

   1. HAND OUT DESCRIPTION. Take a moment and read over this description. As you do so, I would like you to circle things you like or interest you and then cross out things you don’t like so much or that you find confusing. Once we’re all finished, we will discuss this as a group.

   2. What are your first reactions to this program?

   3. What do you think you will like about this?

      1. Does this sound like something you will be interested in? How so?

      2. Does anything seem exciting? How so?

   4. What questions do you have about this curriculum?

      1. Do you have any concerns? IF SO: What concerns you?

2. Does this seem different than other classes on nutrition and physical activity you have taken or heard about? How?

3. What are you hoping will be included in this curriculum?

   1. What are you most interested in learning about?

   2. What topics would be most useful to you?

   3. Anything you’re hoping won’t be included?

4. What do you hope to come away learning in this class?

   1. What do you think you will get out of this that will be meaningful to you personally?

   2. In what ways will that be meaningful to you personally?

2. WRAP UP 5 minutes

1. To wrap things up, I’d like you to complete the following sentence on a piece of paper. “The one thing that I am most excited to learn about in my health and physical activity class this semester is _________________________.

This concludes our focus group. Thank you all so much for taking the time out of your day to have this conversation with me. Enjoy the rest of your day!

HANDOUT A – PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The purpose of this year’s Teen Nutrition and Physical Activity program is to help students understand how to eat a healthier meal and get more physical activity. The term healthy” can be sometimes hard to interpret given all the messages we see in the media about what healthy means. This program will help you to create strategies, address challenges and give you with the tools necessary to make the best choices to live a healthier lifestyle. Specifically, you will learn what you should be eating each day, how to prepare meals in a healthy way, different and fun ways to be physically active, and how to create a balance between what you eat and your physical activity level.

The Teen Nutrition and Physical Activity program was developed with flexibility in mind and is designed to be scaled to your needs. The program is not a diet or workout plan, but instead, gives you correct information about healthy eating and physical activity, tips and tricks to buy and cook healthier meals and ways to get physical activity that works with your schedule.

To help you with this, you will use the SuperTracker, a diet and physical activity tracking tool that you can use on a computer, smart phone or tablet. Using this free, online tool, you will be able to choose a variety of features to support nutrition and physical activity goals.

USDA/FNS

1.25.2021

Moderator Discussion Guide

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