Message Testing Instrument

Attachment 2

Message Testing Instrument

Form Approved

OMB No. 0920-0572

Expiration Date: xx/xx/xxxx

Design: This onetime data collection will include 6 study groups: 5 experimental groups that are exposed to a 1 paragraph vignette and 1 no-exposure control group. Before reading the narrative, the experimental groups will answer 2 questions. After reading the narrative, the experimental groups will answer 8 questions. The control group will answer the 10 questions without reading a narrative. Some respondents will not be asked the final question, which will only be asked of those answering “disagree” or “strongly disagree” on the previous question.

Sample: 2400 total respondents (approximately 400 per experimental group)

Questions: This is a panel survey so answers to demographic questions (Including State of residence, Age, Gender, Education, Ethnicity, Household income) have already been collected.

Text in bold will be provided to participants. The non-bold text is for descriptive purposes.

Instructions:

Public reporting burden of this collection of information is estimated to average 5 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, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS D-74, Atlanta, Georgia 30333; ATTN: PRA (0920-0572).

Show these questions before the vignette.

This survey is sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This survey will ask you to read a short paragraph and then answer 8 questions. Before starting, please answer 2 questions about yourself.

1. In general, how much would you say you know about Zika. (1-4 scale - “never heard about it”, “heard about it but didn’t know much about it”, “know a little bit about it”, “know a lot about it”)

2. Were you or your partner pregnant in the past 3 years (including now)? (Past experience, previous knowledge) (yes/no)

Show these questions following the vignette. Questions will use a 1-5 Likert scale - strongly disagree, disagree, neither agree nor disagree, agree, strongly agree

After reading the paragraph, please answer the following questions:

3. It is important for me to take action to prevent the spread of Zika. (Behavioral intent)

4. It is important for pregnant women to take action to protect themselves from Zika transmission. (Behavioral intent, Target population)

5. It is important for partners of pregnant women to take protective actions against Zika. (Behavioral intent, Sharing burden, couple as a social unit of decision-making)

6. It is important for others in my community to take action to prevent Zika transmission. (Behavioral intent, community protections accorded women)

7. I feel confident I could protect myself from Zika. (Self-efficacy)

8. I feel confident others in my community could prevent the spread of Zika. (Perceived community efficacy)

9. I feel I have enough information about how Zika virus spreads to take protective actions. (Information sufficiency)

10. (If answered 9 as strongly disagree or disagree) What further information would you need to take actions to prevent Zika?

Vignettes:

1. Control group

(Does not read paragraph, only answers questions)

Consequences Compared to Actions

Hypothesis – based on findings from the CDC-INFO analysis, overall scores will be better for 3 compared to 2

2. Focus on consequences (include specifics on effects and basics on actions – compare 2 and 3)

Zika is a disease that is spread by mosquitoes and unprotected sex. Zika can have serious consequences for pregnant women and their fetuses. It can cause serious birth defects, including a condition called microcephaly, in which a baby is born with an unusually small head and abnormal brain development. It may also cause babies to have damage to their eyes, poor hearing, or other damage to the brain and nerves as well as muscles and bones.

3. Focus on actions (include basics of effects and specifics on actions – compare 2 and 3)

Zika is a disease that is spread by mosquitoes and unprotected sex. Zika can have serious consequences for pregnant women and their fetuses. However, there are ways that people can protect themselves and others from the disease. Chances of getting the disease can be reduced by wearing mosquito repellent, wearing long sleeves and pants, not traveling to a place that has local Zika virus transmission, and practicing safe sex with someone who may be infected or recently traveled to an area with local Zika transmission.

Target Populations

Hypothesis: taking focus off women will not have a significant effect on female childbearing age respondents but will improve response from other populations

4. Target population- pregnant women and women of childbearing age (call out pregnant women)

Pregnant women and women of childbearing age can protect themselves against Zika, which is a disease that can have serious consequences for pregnant women and their fetuses. Zika is spread by mosquitoes and unprotected sex. Pregnant women and women of child-bearing age can reduce their risk of Zika infection by wearing mosquito repellent, wearing long sleeves and pants, not traveling to an area that has local transmission of Zika, and practicing safe sex with someone who may be infected or recently traveled to an area with local transmission of Zika. Since mosquitoes breed in standing water, Zika risks can be reduced by flipping over outdoor flower pots, buckets, and other containers that collect water and treating ponds and other landscape features with insecticides that kill mosquito eggs. If possible, screens should be used on windows and doors.

5. Community action focus (specify how community can be a partner in protecting women)

Everyone can help protect against Zika, which is a disease that can have serious consequences for pregnant women and their fetuses. Zika is spread by mosquitoes and unprotected sex. Everyone can reduce the chances of Zika spreading through your community by wearing mosquito repellent, wearing long sleeves and pants, and practicing safe sex with someone who may be infected or recently traveled to an area with local transmission of Zika. Since mosquitoes breed in standing water, Zika risks can be reduced by flipping over outdoor flower pots, buckets, and other containers that collect water and treating ponds and other landscape features with insecticides that kill mosquito eggs. If possible, screens should be used on windows and doors.

6. Focus on male partners (specify actions for male partners)

Men can help protect their partners against Zika, which is a disease that can have serious consequences for pregnant women and their fetuses. Zika is spread by mosquitoes and unprotected sex. Men can protect their pregnant partners by wearing mosquito repellent, wearing long sleeves and pants, and practicing safe sex if they have recently traveled to an area with local Zika virus transmission. Since mosquitoes breed in standing water, Zika risks can be reduced by flipping over outdoor flower pots, buckets, and other containers that collect water and treating ponds and other landscape features with insecticides that kill mosquito eggs. If possible, screens should be used on windows and doors.