Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Public Comment Request

AGENCY:

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Office of Adolescent Health, HHS.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the Secretary (OS), Department of Health and Human Services, announces plans to submit a Information Collection Request (ICR), described below, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Prior to submitting that ICR to OMB, OS seeks comments from the public regarding the burden estimate, below, or any other aspect of the ICR.

DATES:

Comments on the ICR must be received on or before September 23, 2016.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments to Information.CollectionClearance@hhs.gov or by calling (202) 690-6162.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Information Collection Clearance staff, Information.CollectionClearance@hhs.gov or (202) 690-6162.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

When submitting comments or requesting information, please include the document identifier OMB # 0990-0424-30D for reference.

Information Collection Request Title: Positive Adolescent Futures (PAF) Study

Abstract: The Office of Adolescent Health (OAH), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is requesting approval by OMB on a revised data collection. The Positive Adolescent Futures (PAF) Study will provide information about program design, implementation, and impacts through a rigorous assessment of program impacts and implementation of two programs designed to support expectant and parenting teens. These programs are located in Houston, Texas and throughout the state of California. This revised information collection request includes the 24-month follow-up survey instrument related to the impact study. The data collected from this instrument in the two study sites will provide a detailed understanding of program impacts about two years after youth are enrolled in the study and first have access to the programming offered by each site.

Need and Proposed Use of the Information: The data will be used to determine program effectiveness by comparing outcomes on repeat pregnancies, sexual risk behaviors, health and well-being, and parenting behaviors between treatment (program) and control youth. The data will also be used to understand whether the programs are more effective for some youth than others. The findings will be of interest to the general public, to policymakers, and to organizations interested in supporting expectant and parenting teens.

Likely Respondents: The 24-month follow-up survey data will be collected through a web-based survey or through telephone interviews with study participants. The mode of survey administration will primarily be based on the preference of the study participants. The survey will be completed by 1,515 respondents across the two study sites. Clearance is requested for three years.

Burden Statement: Burden in this context means the time expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose or provide the information requested. This includes the time needed to review instructions, to develop, acquire, install and utilize technology and systems for the purpose of collecting, validating and verifying information, processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and providing information, to train personnel and to be able to respond to a collection of information, to search data sources, to complete and review the collection of information, and to transmit or otherwise disclose the information.

The total annual burden hours estimated for this ICR are summarized in the table below.

OS specifically requests comments on (1) the necessity and utility of the proposed information collection for the proper performance of the agency's functions, (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden, (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected, and (4) the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology to minimize the information collection burden.