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[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 79 (Tuesday, April 24, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20661-20662]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-10061]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30 DAY-27-01]

Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes a 
list of information collection requests under review by the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). To request a copy of these requests, call 
the CDC Reports Clearance Officer at (404) 639-7090. Send written 
comments to CDC, Desk Officer; Human Resources and Housing Branch, New 
Executive Office Building, Room 10235; Washington, DC 20503. Written 
comments should be received within 30 days of this notice.

Proposed Project

    Telephone Survey Measuring HIV/STD Risk Behavior Using Standard 
Methodology--New--National Center for HIV, STD, Tuberculosis Prevention 
(NCHSTP), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The goal of 
the overall project is to conduct testing of a set of survey questions 
intended to obtain measures of risk behaviors for

[[Page 20662]]

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Sexually Transmitted Diseases 
(STDs). This proposed data collection is for the second phase of this 
2-year project. During the first phase questions were developed and 
tested, and a pretest of 203 interviews was conducted. During this 
second phase a pilot survey with a larger number of respondents will be 
conducted, and a small number of additional questions will be included 
measuring HIV-related stigma.
    Knowledge about the level of HIV risk behaviors in populations is 
essential for effective HIV prevention programs. Currently, survey-
based assessment of these behaviors depends on a range of survey 
questions that differ across surveys, and that are difficult to compare 
and to reconcile. Therefore, the Behavioral Surveillance Working Group, 
coordinated by the National Center for HIV, STD and Tuberculosis 
Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has developed a 
draft set of items to be proposed as standard survey questions on the 
topics of sexual behavior, HIV testing, drug use, and other behaviors 
related to risk of contracting HIV and/or STDs. As part of this effort, 
CDC will sponsor a telephone-based pilot of 650 persons aged 18-59, 
selected randomly from within an urban area, in order to test these 
questions.
    Further, because some of the survey questions are private and 
potentially sensitive, the project will entail the testing of a survey 
administration mode: Telephone-based audio computer-assisted self-
interview (T-ACASI), in which a computer will be used to administer the 
most sensitive questions, and in which the surveyed individual enters 
responses directly onto the telephone keypad. This procedure eliminates 
the need for communication of sensitive questions from the interviewer 
to the respondent, as well as the need for respondents to answer the 
questions verbally. In order to test the effectiveness of this 
procedure, half of the interviews will be conducted using the T-ACASI 
procedure for the most sensitive questions, and half using standard, 
interviewer-based administration of all questions. Data analysis will 
rely on an assessment of the response rate under each mode, and on the 
nature of the data obtained to the sensitive questions. The larger 
sample size of the year 2 pilot survey will enable us to test 
statistical significance of the effectiveness of the T-ACASI procedure.
    Information and data obtained from this evaluation will help direct 
future surveys, by determining whether it is feasible to attempt to 
administer these standard risk questions using a telephone survey, and 
whether a T-ACASI-based procedure represents a technological innovation 
that will positively contribute to such an effort, through improvements 
in data quality. The total annual burden is 217 hours.

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                                                                                                 Avg. burden per
                        Respondents                              No. of       No. of responses/   response (in
                                                               respondents       respondent          hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Screening.................................................              3448                 1              1/60
Interview.................................................               650                 1             20/60
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    Dated: April 16, 2001.
Nancy Cheal,
Acting Associate Director for Policy Planning, and Evaluation, Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 01-10061 Filed 4-23-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P
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