Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has submitted the information collection request titled “Assessing the impact of interventions to decrease sexual risk behaviors and adverse health outcomes among middle and high school aged youth” to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. CDC previously published a “Proposed Data Collection Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations” notice on November 8, 2017 to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies. CDC received three comments related to the previous notice. This notice serves to allow an additional 30 days for public and affected agency comments.

CDC will accept all comments for this proposed information collection project. The Office of Management and Budget is particularly interested in comments that:

(a) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility;

(b) Evaluate the accuracy of the agencies estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;

(c) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected;

(d) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including, through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses; and

(e) Assess information collection costs.

To request additional information on the proposed project or to obtain a copy of the information collection plan and instruments, call (404) 639-7570 or send an email to omb@cdc.gov. Direct written comments and/or suggestions regarding the items contained in this notice to the Attention: CDC Desk Officer, Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20503 or by fax to (202) 395-5806. Provide written comments within 30 days of notice publication.

Proposed Project

Assessing the Impact of Interventions to Decrease Sexual Risk Behaviors and Adverse Health Outcomes Among Middle and High School-Aged Youth—New—Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH), National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

The CDC requests approval for a new generic information collection package that supports collection of quantitative and qualitative information from adolescents (ages 11-19) and their parents/caregivers for the purpose of assessing and informing programs and services to reduce sexual risk behaviors and decrease adverse health outcomes among middle and high school aged adolescents.

NCHHSTP conducts behavioral and health service assessments and research projects as part of its response to the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic, STD prevention, TB elimination and viral hepatitis control with national, state, and local partners. Adolescents are a population with specific developmental, health and social, and resource needs, and their health risk factors and access to health care are addressed as a primary mission by the Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH), and adolescents are a population of interest for several other NCHHSTP divisions.

The assessment and research conducted by NCHHSTP is one pillar upon which recommendations and guidelines are revised and updated. Recommendations and guidelines for adolescent sexual risk reduction require that foundation of scientific evidence. Assessment of programmatic practices for adolescents helps to assure effective and evidence-based sexual risk reduction practices and efficient use of resources. Such assessments also help to improve programs through better identification of strategies relevant to adolescents as a population as well as specific sub-groups of adolescents (e.g., sexual minority youth, homeless youth) and that provide more tailored sexual risk reduction programs and services to them.

The CDC requests a three-year OMB approval for a new generic information collection request plan entitled, “Assessing the Impact of Interventions to Decrease Sexual Risk Behaviors and Adverse Health Outcomes among Middle and High School-aged Youth.” The information collection requests under this generic plan are intended to allow for data collection with two types of respondents:

• Adolescents (11-19 years old) of middle and high school age; and
• Parents and/or caregivers of adolescents of middle and high school age. For the purposes of this generic package, parents/caregivers include the adult primary caregiver(s) for a child's basic needs (e.g., food, shelter, and safety). This includes biological parents; other biological relatives such as grandparents, aunts, uncles, or siblings; and non-biological parents such as adoptive, foster, or stepparents.

The types of information collection activities included in this generic package are:

(1) Quantitative data collection through electronic, telephone, or paper questionnaires to gather information about programmatic and service activities related to sexual risk reduction or adverse health outcomes among adolescents of middle- and high-school age.

(2) Qualitative data collection through electronic, telephone, or paper means to gather information about programmatic and service activities related to sexual risk reduction or prevention of adverse health outcomes among adolescents of middle- and high-school age. Qualitative data collection may involve focus groups and in-depth interviewing through group interviews, and cognitive interviewing.

For adolescents, data collection instruments will include questions on experiences with programs and services to reduce the risk of HIV and other STD transmission, and knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and skills related to sexual risk and protective factors on the individual, interpersonal, and community levels.

For parents and caregivers, data collection instruments will include questions on parents'/caregivers' (1) perceptions about programs and services provided to adolescents; (2) knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions about their adolescents' health risk and protective behaviors; and (3) parenting knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and skills.

Because this request includes a wide range of possible data collection instruments, specific requests will include items of information to be collected and copies of data collection instruments. It is expected that all data collection instruments will be pilot-tested, and will be culturally, developmentally, and age appropriate for the adolescent populations included. Similarly, parent data collection instruments will be pilot-tested, and the data collection instruments will reflect the culture, developmental stage, and age of the parents' adolescent children. All data collection procedures will receive review and approval by an Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects and follow appropriate consent and assent procedures as outlined in the IRB-approved protocols and these will be described in the individual information collection requests put forward under this generic package. Participation of respondents is voluntary. There is no cost to the participants other than their time.

The table below provides the estimated annualized response burden for up to 15 individual data collections under this generic information collection plan at 57,584 hours. Average burden per response is based on pilot testing and timing of quantitative and qualitative instrument administration during previous studies. Response times include the time to read and respond to consent forms and to read or listen to instructions.