Questionnaire Pre-Test Study
Condition: Cancer
Study type: Observational

Summary: 
      Background:

      The Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics does research into the causes of cancer and
      ways to prevent it. It uses data from questionnaires. Sometimes, pre-testing a questionnaire
      with a group of volunteers can help researchers find errors in it and learn ways to improve
      it.

      Objectives:

      To test a questionnaire for problems that might cause response errors and to develop ideas
      for improving it. To test how long it takes people to complete it.

      Eligibility:

      Adults ages 35-75. Volunteers both with and without a history of tobacco use and with or
      without a family history of cancer are needed.

      Design:

      Participants will be screened with a phone call.

      Participants will be told what background data to bring to the 1 study visit.

      An interviewer will give the participants the questionnaire. It will be done with pen and
      paper. It will take about 1 hour.

      There will be multiple-choice and open-ended questions. They will be about lifestyle,
      medical, and environmental factors. Some of the questions will be about possibly illegal or
      highly sensitive behaviors.

      Participants will note any questions that they find hard to answer for any reason. They will
      be asked to answer the best they can, but they can skip any question that they prefer not to
      answer.

      The personal data of participants will be deleted when the study is done.

      The interviewer will observe participants while they do the questionnaire. He or she will
      look for things like long pauses and confusion.

      Participants will discuss the exam with the interviewer after they finish. This will take
      about 1 hour.
    

Detailed description: 
      The mission of the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG) is to conduct
      broadbased, high quality, high impact research to uncover the causes of cancer and the means
      of its prevention. To this end, DCEG relies on epidemiologic data captured on self-reported
      questionnaires. The purpose of this pre-test study is to pilot a questionnaire to: (1) detect
      problems that might contribute to response errors; (2) develop ideas for improving the
      questionnaire in order to minimize such errors; and (3) assess the length of time to complete
      the questionnaire. If there are specific sections of the questionnaire that are skipped by
      all 30 initial participants, then six (6) additional, separate individuals may be invited to
      pre-test the questionnaire for sections that were missed by the initial set of participants.
      After a post-revision of the questionnaire based on the pre-test results, up to 10
      additional, separate individuals will be invited to test the revised questionnaire for
      duration and comprehensibility.
    

Observational model: Other
Time perspective: Cross-Sectional
Sampling method: Non-Probability Sample
Study population: 
        Convenience sample of adult volunteers in geographic proximity to contractor in Durham, NC
      
Keywords: Survey; Pre-Test