[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 79 (Thursday, April 24, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22823-22825]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-09317]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request
In compliance with section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995 concerning opportunity for public comment on proposed
collections of information, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration (SAMHSA) will publish periodic summaries of
proposed projects. To request more information on the proposed projects
or to obtain a copy of the information collection plans, call the
SAMHSA Reports Clearance Officer on (240) 276-1243.
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collections of
information are necessary for the proper performance of the functions
of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents,
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other
forms of information technology.
[[Page 22824]]
Proposed Project: 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (OMB No.
0930-0110)--Revision
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) is a survey of
the U.S. civilian, non-institutionalized population aged 12 years old
or older. The data are used to determine the prevalence of use of
tobacco products, alcohol, illicit substances, and illicit use of
prescription drugs. The results are used by SAMHSA, the Office of
National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), Federal government agencies, and
other organizations and researchers to establish policy, direct program
activities, and better allocate resources.
In order to continue producing current data, SAMHSA's Center for
Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality (CBHSQ) must periodically
update aspects of the NSDUH to reflect the changing substance use and
mental health issues and to continue producing current data. CBHSQ has
such plans for the 2015 NSDUH survey year to achieve two goals: (1)
Revise the questionnaire to address changing policy and research data
needs, and (2) modify the survey methodology to improve the quality of
estimates and the efficiency of data collection and processing.
Planned revisions for the 2015 NSDUH to the questionnaire,
methodology and materials, including an assessment of new computer
equipment, were initially tested in 2012 as part of the NSDUH
Questionnaire Field Test (QFT) (OMB No. 0930-0334), then further
refined and tested again in 2013 during the NSDUH Dress Rehearsal (DR)
(OMB No. 0930-0334). As such, most of the changes described herein were
successfully tested as part of the QFT and/or DR unless otherwise
specified.
The changes to the questionnaire content for 2015 will include: (a)
Revisions to modules for smokeless tobacco, hallucinogens, inhalants,
prescription drugs, special drugs, consumption of alcohol, and health
care; (b) revisions to the educational attainment response categories;
(c) a lower threshold of binge alcohol use for females; (d) a new
methamphetamine module; (e) addition of two sexual orientation
questions to be asked of adults; and (f) revisions to back-end
demographics questions. Also, to aid respondent recall within the
questionnaire, prescription drug images and a reference date calendar
will display on the computer screen rather than being displayed in
hard-copy, paper form.
There are a few additional changes to the questionnaire content for
2015 not tested during the DR, which include: (a) The term ``Molly''
will be added to questions about Ecstasy in the hallucinogens module;
(b) routine updates to logic and wording for consistency and to
maximize respondent comprehension; and (c) other minor changes to
questions throughout the instrument to clarify intent.
Several changes are also planned to the methodology for 2015 in an
effort to improve the efficiency of data collection and processing;
these were tested during the QFT and DR. A new 7-inch touch screen
tablet will be used for screening and interview respondent selection,
in addition to a new lightweight laptop used to administer the
questionnaire. Also redesigned versions of the lead letter (mailed to
respondents prior to being contacted by an interviewer) and a question
& answer brochure will be provided to respondents. As necessary, all
materials provided to respondents for 2015 will be updated to now
reference the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (instead of
U.S. Public Health Service) and any previous mention of the Contractor,
Research Triangle Institute, will now appear as RTI International. Due
to changes to the questionnaire content, the showcard booklet, which
allows respondents to refer to information necessary for accurate
responses, will contain fewer showcards.
Along with the new laptop, text to speech (TTS) software is being
programmed and tested for implementation within the questionnaire for
2015. TTS uses a computer-generated voice to read text displayed on-
screen, rather than relying on the pre-recorded audio files from a
human voice used previously with the audio computer-assisted self-
interviewing (ACASI) portions of the interview. Though TTS was not
tested as part of the QFT or DR, during an evaluation of the software,
there were no problems understanding any words or phrases produced by
the TTS voices in English or Spanish, so it will be implemented for the
2015 NSDUH unless there is a significant problem shown during testing.
If TTS is not implemented, the current method of using pre-recorded
audio files will be continued for the 2015 NSDUH.
In addition, interviewers will now have the option of showing a
short video via the multimedia capability of the touch screen tablet.
The video (approx. 50 seconds in run time) will provide a brief
explanation of the study and why participation is important. Also
contained within the tablet and new for 2015 is a parental introductory
script, designed to be read to a parent or guardian once a youth
respondent is selected to complete an interview. This script will
standardize the introductory conversations with parent/guardians.
As with all NSDUH/NHSDA (prior to 2002, the NSDUH was referred to
as the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA)) surveys
conducted since 1999, the sample size of the survey for 2015 will be
sufficient to permit prevalence estimates for each of the fifty States
and the District of Columbia. The sample design for 2015 will be the
same as the design used for 2014 data collection. This design places
more sample in the 26 or older age groups to more accurately estimate
drug use and related mental health measures among the aging drug use
population, and allows for the possible adoption of address-based
sampling in the future. The total annual burden estimate is shown in
Table 1.
Table 1--Annualized Estimated Burden for 2015 NSDUH
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Number of Responses per Total number Hours per Total burden
Instrument respondents respondent of responses response hours
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Household Screening............. 125,176 1 125,176 0.083 10,390
Interview....................... 67,507 1 67,507 1.000 67,507
Screening Verification.......... 3,755 1 3,755 0.067 252
Interview Verification.......... 10,126 1 10,126 0.067 678
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Total....................... 125,176 .............. 125,176 .............. 78,827
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[[Page 22825]]
Send comments to Summer King, SAMHSA Reports Clearance Officer,
Room 2-1057,
One Choke Cherry Road, Rockville, MD 20857 or email her a copy at
[email protected]. Written comments should be received by June
23, 2014.
Summer King,
Statistician.
[FR Doc. 2014-09317 Filed 4-23-14; 8:45 am]
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