Protocol for National Survey of Children’s Health Longitudinal Cohort Mail Materials
Round 1 Cognitive Interviews
Participant ID #: |___|___|___|___|___| ___|___|___|
Interview Date: |__|__| / |__|__| / |__|__|__|__| (mm/dd/yyyy)
Interviewer initials: |__|__|
Start Time: ____________ AM / PM End Time: ____________ AM / PM
Introduction :
**
Read/ Paraphrase the following text**
Greeting:
Hello. My name is ________________, and I work for the Census
Bureau.
Thank you for agreeing to participate in our study.
What: Let me start by telling you a little about what we will be doing today. The National Survey of Children’s Health Longitudinal Cohort (NSCH-LC), is conducted by the Census Bureau and sponsored by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). This survey collects information about the health and well-being of America’s children. We’re working to improve the survey contact materials. Before we finalize the materials, we want to test them with people like yourself to make sure they are understood as intended.
We’re asking you to read through the materials as if you received them in the mail. We are interested in your feedback on the materials so we can improve them. We will be looking at several items. I’ll explain each one to you as we go along. I’m going to ask you to read through them and then ask you some questions about them. There are no right or wrong answers. We are interested in what people really think about the survey materials you will see today. Please give me your honest impressions, whether good or bad. We appreciate your help so we can make them work well for everyone.
How: If this were the real survey, you would receive these in the mail, but since this is a virtual interview, we will be looking at them on the computer. In a couple of minutes, I am going to send you a link in the Teams Chat to ask you to look at these as a PDF on your screen and try to imagine you have received them in the mail at home but with one major difference.
Think Aloud: I would like you to think aloud as you read over the materials and answer some questions. I am interested in your feedback on the materials, but I am also interested in the process you go through in your mind as you read through them. I would like you to tell me everything that you are thinking and feeling as you see and read over these materials. You might have some questions about the materials that come up as we go. You can still ask these questions, but I will wait until the end to answer them. I want to use this time to get your thoughts and opinions.
Practice: Let’s do a practice before we start. Please think aloud as you answer this question: How many windows are in your home?
Interruptions: I might stop you at a couple of points and ask you some questions about your feedback, or about the materials themselves. I am also going to ask you some questions at the end. There are no right or wrong answers, because only you know what you are thinking.
Do you have any questions before we begin?
Confidentiality:
Our session today is completely confidential. Your participation in
this study is
completely voluntary, and you can decline to
answer any question.
Recording: So
I don’t have to rely on my memory later on, I’d like to
record this interview.
That way, I can focus today on what
you’re saying rather than having to concentrate on taking
notes. Is that ok with you?
**HAVE PARTICIPANT FILL OUT THE CONSENT FORM**
**Begin: **BEGIN
RECORDING IN SNAGIT**
OK,
let’s begin. Please remember to think aloud as you go through
the materials.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Interviewer: Note any confusion or difficulties participants have with the materials.
If participant is not being talkative despite reminders, ask them if there are things they like, don’t like, or find confusing.
Participants will be randomized to receive the screener card version first or second in this section. All participants will receive both versions for review.
First Contact
**INTERVIEWER: SEND THE LINK TO THE NSCH-LC-E1 or the NSCH-LC-E1 (Screener Card Version)**
SET-UP: This is a follow-up survey, so all the households invited to participate in this survey we are talking about today, took a similar survey 4-5 years ago. You, of course, did not take the previous survey, but it will be helpful for context to keep that in mind as you are reviewing the materials today.
We’ll start with the first piece of mail you would receive if you were selected to participate in the follow-up survey. It would arrive in your mailbox in a business-sized envelope. And I’m putting a link that will take you to a PDF of what that envelope would look like. (SEND LINK TO ENVELOPE PDF). Please feel free to share any reactions or thoughts about it.
And now I’m placing a link in our chat window that will take you to a PDF version of what would be inside the envelope. Please look it over as you would if I weren’t here and think aloud as much as you can so I can get a sense your thoughts and reactions. (SEND LINK TO THE VERSION OF NSCH-LC-E1 THIS PARTICIPANT SHOULD SEE FIRST).
Standard Probe:
(IF LC4 PARTICIPANT) What did you think of the greeting “Dear Parent or Previous Caregiver of [person name]”?
(IF LC1-3 PARTICIPANT) What do you think of the greeting “Dear Parent or Caregiver of [child name]”?
INTERVIEWER: DID P READ THE LETTER OR SKIM IT?
(IF NEEDED) Did you read the letter/skim it? Do you think you would read it if you were at home opening the mail instead of here in an interview with me?
What do you think the letter is asking you to do?
What would you do next?
(IF NEEDED) Would you respond to this letter?
(IF YES) How would you respond?
(IF NEEDED) Would you go to the website? Would you fill out the card?
Is there anything in this letter that makes you feel motivated to participate?
Is there any information you feel is missing from this letter?
Now we will look at an alternative version of this mailing. I’m placing a link to it in our chat window. (SEND LINK TO THE VERSION OF THE NSCH-LC-E1 THE PARTICIPANT SHOULD SEE SECOND)
Standard Probes:
INTERVIEWER: DID P READ THE LETTER OR SKIM IT?
(IF NEEDED) Did you read the letter/skim it? Do you think you would read it if you were at home opening the mail instead of here in an interview with me?
What do you think the letter is asking you to do?
What would you do next?
(IF NEEDED) Would you respond to this letter?
(IF YES) How would you respond?
(IF NEEDED) Would you go to the website? Would you fill out the card?
Is there anything in this letter that makes you feel motivated to participate?
Is there any information you feel is missing from this letter?
Do you prefer one of these letters over the other? Why?
_____________________________________________________________________________
FAQs
SET UP: These are some Frequently Asked Questions that appear on the back side of this mailing. Please take a look at them and think aloud to the best of your ability as you do.
Standard Probes:
INTERVIEWER: DID P READ THE PAGE OR SKIM IT?
(IF NEEDED) Did you read the FAQs or skim them?
What did you think about the FAQs? Was there anything confusing or unclear?
Is there anything you feel is missing from these FAQs? (IF NEEDED) Are there other questions that you might have?
______________________________________________________________________________
Ranking Exercise: Benefit Statements
SET-UP: Next, we are going to do a ranking exercise. I’m going to show you some statements we are considering including in this mailing. They are called “benefit statements” and are intended to illustrate to the reader why it’s important to participate in the survey.
Please read through these 5 statements and think aloud as you react to them. Then I’d like you to rank them in order of importance from 1-5, with 1 being the most important to you, and 5 being the one you find least important.
____ Because of responses like yours, the federal government is improving programs to support the mental health needs of children and teens.
_____ Because of responses like yours, pediatricians are now better prepared to help children and teens with their mental health needs.
_____ Because of responses like yours, the federal government is improving programs to increase the number of children who get enough sleep.
_____ Because of responses like yours, the federal government is improving programs to increase the number of children who exercise or play outdoors.
_____ Because of responses like yours, the federal government is able to provide states with resources to support children with special health care needs.
Standard Probe:
Are there any topics that are important to you that were not mentioned here?
(IF NEEDED) Were any of these statements confusing or unclear?
(IF NEEDED) Were there any statements that you didn’t like?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Second Contact
SET UP: If you don’t respond to the survey after receiving the first contact, you would receive another mailing. Please go ahead and read through it just as you did with the first one. Again, remember to think aloud and share any thoughts or impressions you have as they come to you.
*** SEND THE LINK TO THE NSCH-LC-P1**
Standard Probe:
INTERVIEWER: DID P READ THE LETTER OR SKIM IT? (IF NEEDED) Did you read the letter/skim it? Do you think you would read it if you were at home opening the mail instead of here in an interview with me?
What do you think the letter is asking you to do?
What would you do next? (IF NEEDED) Would you respond to this letter?
Is there anything in this letter that makes you feel motivated to participate?
Is there any information you feel is missing from this letter?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Third Contact
SET UP: If you didn’t respond after receiving the last letter, you would receive this contact. Please read through it just as you would if I wasn’t here and continue to think aloud as you do.
** SEND THE LINK TO THE NSCH-LC-E2 **
Standard Probe:
INTERVIEWER: DID P READ THE LETTER OR SKIM IT? (IF NEEDED) Did you read the letter/skim it? Do you think you would read it if you were at home opening the mail instead of here in an interview with me?
What do you think the letter is asking you to do?
What would you do next? (IF NEEDED) Would you respond to this letter?
Is there anything in this letter that makes you feel motivated to participate?
Is there any information you feel is missing from this letter?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Fourth Contact
SET UP: If you still have not yet responded to the survey a certain amount of time after the last contact attempt, you would be mailed this next letter. Please go ahead and read through it share any thoughts or impressions you may have as they occur to you.
** SEND THE LINK TO THE NSCH-LC-E3**
Standard Probe:
INTERVIEWER: DID P READ THE LETTER OR SKIM IT? (IF NEEDED) Did you read the letter/skim it? Do you think you would read it if you were at home opening the mail instead of here in an interview with me?
What do you think the letter is asking you to do?
What would you do next? (IF NEEDED) Would you respond to this letter?
Is there anything in this letter that makes you feel motivated to participate?
Is there any information you feel is missing from this letter?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Fifth Contact
SET UP: If you still have not responded to the survey, this last contact attempt would be sent to you. Please go ahead and read through it share any thoughts or impressions you may have as they occur to you.
** SEND THE LINK TO THE NSCH-LC-E4**
Standard Probe:
INTERVIEWER: DID P READ THE LETTER OR SKIM IT? (IF NEEDED) Did you read the letter/skim it? Do you think you would read it if you were at home opening the mail instead of here in an interview with me?
What do you think the letter is asking you to do?
What would you do next? (IF NEEDED) Would you respond to this letter?
Is there anything in this letter that makes you feel motivated to participate?
Is there any information you feel is missing from this letter?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Ranking Exercise #2: Statements of Appeal
SET-UP: OK, we’re going to do another ranking exercise, this time with something called a “statement of appeal.” This is the sentence within the letter that is intended to motivate the reader to comply with what’s being asked of them.
So just like last time, please read through these statements just like you did before – thinking aloud as you do – and put them in order from 1-6 of most motivational to least motivational.
_____We are now conducting a follow-up survey to measure the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on children, young adults, and families.
_____The survey will help us understand the current health care needs of children, young adults and their families.
_____Your response is important and will help us understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the educational experiences of children and young adults.
_____The results of this survey will help our nation better understand and respond to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on U.S. children, young adults, and their families.
_____The information gathered in this survey is critical to understanding access to and use of health care during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
_____The survey will help identify gaps in education and health care among children and young adults in the U.S.
Standard Probe:
Are there any topics that are important to you that were not mentioned here?
What do you think about the statements that mention the COVID-19 pandemic? (IF NEEDED) Do they make the survey seem relevant?
Do you feel that the Covid-19 pandemic has created new needs for families and children?
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| Author | Sarah S Trahey (CENSUS/DSMD FED) |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2025-08-12 |