Supporting Statement B of the Request for Clearance:
Homeless Service Providers’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices regarding Body Lice, Fleas and Associated Diseases
(Part B: Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods)
1. Respondent Universe and Sampling Methods 2
2. Procedures for the Collection of Information 2
3. Methods to Maximize Response Rates and Deal with Nonresponse 3
4. Tests of Procedures or Methods to be Undertaken 3
5. Individuals Consulted on Statistical Aspects and Individuals Collecting and/or Analyzing Data 3
Contact Information:
Chip Daymude
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases
1600 Clifton Rd, MS
Atlanta, GA 30329-4027
B. Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods
This request is for a new collection, which will involve surveys conducted among samples of homeless service providers. The intention is to use responses to these surveys to improve communication and education regarding prevention of vector-borne diseases, including but not limited to Bartonella quintana infection, flea-borne typhus, and epidemic typhus (R. prowazekii), among persons experiencing homelessness (PEH), who are at increased risk of vector-borne diseases.
The target population for these data collections are individuals who work or volunteer at homeless shelters, outreach teams, or other locations that serve PEH. We will partner with local/state public health agencies that serve a population with a high number of PEH. These collaborating sites will be identified through the Public Health and Homelessness Centers of Excellence. Each of these external public health partners will identify at least 5 unique homeless service sites or outreach organizations within their jurisdiction to participate in data collection. The sites will include a mixture of brick-and-mortar facilities (“shelters”) and teams that provide services to PEH staying on the street or in encampments (“outreach teams”).
Any individual ≥18 years of age who has worked or volunteered at the selected shelter or outreach team for at least 6 months will be eligible to participate.
At each participating site or organization, 3–5 participants will be recruited to participate, with a goal of 30–50 participants recruited by each public health partner. A total of 100-200 participants will complete the survey instrument. In addition, one participant from each homelessness service site or outreach organization will complete a separate survey regarding policies and services (site assessment form; Appendices 4 and 5) to better understand structural barriers to vector-borne disease prevention, recognition, diagnosis, and treatment. Each participant will be provided a $25 gift card to a local grocery store as a token of appreciation for their time. Participants will be asked to provide their name confirming receipt of this gift card, but their name will not be linked to their individual survey responses (Appendix 6).
To ensure participant confidentiality, participants will not be asked to sign a consent form as this signed consent form would be the only document with personally identifiable information. Instead, participants will be a) provided with an information sheet describing the project that includes local and state public health contact information (Appendix 1), b) asked verbally if they would like to participate in the survey(s), and c) acknowledge understanding that they will be able to end participation at any point without adverse consequence (e.g., not provided a gift card).
Sample Size Estimation
As
this survey is not designed as a comparative research study, our
sample size was chosen to ensure that a sufficient diversity of
responses between different geographic locations and type of facility
was obtained. This sample will ensure that resulting guidance and
education efforts can be developed to meet identified gaps in
knowledge or address other challenges.
The survey is planned as a convenience sample and we plan to ask for volunteers at each participating site. Given this design, there are no specific procedures focused on maximizing response rates. A $25 dollar gift card to a local grocery store will be provided as a token of appreciation; this amount and type of gift card was chosen in consultation with local partners to ensure that this would be appropriate and non-coercive.
Appropriate human subjects review procedures will be conducted for each individual project as they are developed; approval will be obtained from each collaborating site. Each project will be conducted according to the local and state laws in existence where the project is being conducted for the protection of the rights of human volunteers. As this project involves an anonymous survey, we anticipate that the project will receive a non-research determination.
We will use univariate methods to compare variables of interest. Comparisons will be performed after stratification by a) location and b) type of site.
All persons listed below may be involved in collection and analysis of proposed data:
Grace Marx, MD
Medical Epidemiologist
Division of Vector-Borne Diseases
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
970.568.6523
David McCormick, MD, MPH
Medical Epidemiologist
Division of Vector-borne Diseases
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
970.787.5036
Johanna Salzer, DVM, PhD
Veterinary Medical Officer
Division of Vector-borne Diseases
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
404.639.5176
Emily Mosites, PhD
Epidemiologist
Office of the Director
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
907.346.0570
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| Author | Hutchens, Renee L. (CDC/OID/NCEZID) (CTR) |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2022-09-14 |