Focus group discussion guide

Attachment 7D. Focus Group Discussion Guide

F ocus Group Discussion Guide

Date: Time: AM / PM Location:

Hello, my name is . I am a qualitative researcher from RTI International, a non‐profit research organization. RTI is conducting this project on behalf of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also known as the CDC. The purpose of our discussion today is to learn about your recent experiences related to <DISASTER NAME>. We are interested in learning how your household may have prepared for <DISASTER NAME> and whether the things your household did helped you during or shortly after the event.

The focus group will last about two hours and your participation is voluntary. Participants may choose to withdraw from the study at any time. We plan to record and transcribe the group’s responses and keep them confidential by referring to people as “Participant 1”, “Participant 2”, and so on. If you do not agree to being recorded, you should sign off now and not participate. You can help maintain our confidentiality by only using first names in the discussion today.

Before we begin, keep in mind that a focus group is like a group interview. We are interested in everyone’s responses to our questions, and there are no right or wrong answers. We appreciate your input in the discussion.

Questions (ask and probe for responses):

1. Introductions – Gather first name (for purposes of facilitation) and demographic information from participants

2. What do you think the most important issues were for households that recently went through

<DISASTER NAME>?

3. Where do most people in your community get information on how to prepare for a natural disaster?

(Probe) Who do you usually turn to for information?

4. What things were you able to do to prepare for <DISASTER NAME>?

5. Have you ever heard of an emergency supply kit?

(Probe) If yes, how or where?

(Probe) If yes, does your household have one?

(Probe) If yes, what kind of items does your household have in the kit?

(Probe) What do you think are the reasons why households do not have an emergency supply kit at home?

(Probe) Are there messages that would convince people that an emergency supply kit is important to have at home?

6. Regardless of whether you had a kit, what items helped you or your family the most during

<DISASTER NAME>?

7. What items did you need during <DISASTER NAME> or wished you had, but couldn’t get? (Probe) What kind of barriers kept you from getting the items that you needed? (Probe) What effect did this have on you or your family during <DISASTER NAME>.

8. Thinking back to the < DISASTER NAME>, what do you think CDC can do to make sure that everyone gets information about creating an emergency supply kit

CDC estimates the average public reporting burden for this collection of information as 120 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data/information sources, gathering and maintaining the data/information needed, and completing and reviewing the collection 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 (XXXX-XXXX).

Thank you very much for your responses. We hope to use them to make recommendations for households to help them be prepared when a natural disaster strikes next.

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