2011-16528. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; Revision to Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Formative Research Methodology Studies for the National Children's Study

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the requirement of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, for opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects to be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. This proposed information collection was previously published in the Federal Register on April 27, 2011, pages 23608-23609, and allowed 60 days for public comment. Two written comments and two verbal comments were received. The verbal comments expressed support for the broad scope of the study. The written comments were identical and questioned the cost and utility of the study specifically and of federally funded biomedical research overall. The purpose of this notice is to allow an additional 30 days for public comment.

Proposed Collection:

Title: Formative Research Studies for the National Children's Study (NCS)

Type of Information Collection Request: RENEWAL of OMB Clearance 0925-0590, Expiration June 30, 2011

Need and Use of Information Collection: The Children's Health Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-310) states:

(a) Purpose.—It is the purpose of this section to authorize the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development* to conduct a national longitudinal study of environmental influences (including physical, chemical, biological, and psychosocial) on children's health and development.

(b) In General.—The Director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development* shall establish a consortium of representatives from appropriate Federal agencies (including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Environmental Protection Agency) to—

(1) plan, develop, and implement a prospective cohort study, from birth to adulthood, to evaluate the effects of both chronic and intermittent exposures on child health and human development; and

(2) investigate basic mechanisms of developmental disorders and environmental factors, both risk and protective, that influence health and developmental processes.

(c) Requirement.—The study under subsection (b) shall—

(1) incorporate behavioral, emotional, educational, and contextual consequences to enable a complete assessment of the physical, chemical, biological, and psychosocial environmental influences on children's well-being;

(2) gather data on environmental influences and outcomes on diverse populations of children, which may include the consideration of prenatal exposures; and

(3) consider health disparities among children, which may include the consideration of prenatal exposures.

To fulfill the requirements of the Children's Health Act, the results of formative research and pilot tests will be used to maximize the efficiency of NCS procedures, materials, and methods for outreach, engagement of stakeholders, recruitment and retention of Study subjects, and to ensure scientifically robust data collection methodologies for the National Children's Study (NCS) Vanguard and Main Studies. With this submission, the NCS seeks to obtain OMB's generic approval to conduct survey and instrument design and administration, focus groups, cognitive interviews, and health and social service provider information collection surrounding outreach, engagement, recruitment, consent and questionnaire design, and retention activities.

The results from formative research and pilot tests proposed will inform the feasibility (scientific robustness), acceptability (burden to participants and study logistics) and cost of NCS Vanguard and Main Study recruitment, retention, study visit measures and study logistics.

Frequency of Response: Annual [As needed on an on-going and concurrent basis].

Affected Public: Members of the public, researchers, practitioners, and other health professionals.

Type of Respondents: Women of child-bearing age, fathers, community leaders, members, and organizations, health care facilities and professionals, public health, environmental, social and cognitive science professional organizations and practitioners, hospital administrators, cultural and faith-based centers, and schools and child care organizations. These include both persons enrolled in the NCS Vanguard Study and their peers who are not participating in the NCS Vanguard Study.

Annual reporting burden: See Table 1. The annualized cost to respondents is estimated at: $300,000 (based on $10 per hour). There are no Capital Costs to report. There are no Operating or Maintenance Costs to report.

Table 1—Estimated Annual Reporting Burden Summary

Data collection activity	Type of respondent	Estimated number of respondents	Estimated number of responses per respondent	Average burden hours per response	Estimated total annual burden hours requested
Small, focused survey and instrument design and administration	NCS participants	4,000	2	1	8,000
	Members of NCS target population (not NCS participants)	4,000	2	1	8,000
	Health and Social Service Providers	2,000	1	1	2,000
	Community Stakeholders	2,000	1	1	2,000
Focus groups	NCS participants	2,000	1	2	2,000
	Members of NCS target population (not NCS participants)	2,000	1	2	2,000
	Health and Social Service Providers	2,000	1	2	2,000
	Community Stakeholders	2,000	1	2	2,000
Cognitive interviews	NCS participants	500	1	2	1,000
	Members of NCS target population (not NCS participants)	500	1	2	1,000
Total		21,000			30,000 hrs

Request for comments: Written comments and/or suggestions from the public and affected agencies are invited on one or more of the following points: (1) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the function of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To request more information on the proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and instruments, contact Dr. Sarah L. Glavin, Deputy Director, Office of Science Policy, Analysis and Communication, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 31 Center Drive Room 2A18, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, or call non-toll free number [phone] or E-mail your request, including your address to [e-mail].

Comments due date: Comments regarding this information collection are best assured of having their full effect if received within 30 days of the date of this publication.

Dated: June 27, 2011.

Sarah L. Glavin,

Deputy Director, Office of Science Policy, Analysis and Communications, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.