83 FR 56287 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; National Survey of Children's Health

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Census Bureau

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 219 (November 13, 2018)

The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 219 (Tuesday, November 13, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56287-56290]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-24681]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

 Census Bureau


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; National Survey 
of Children's Health

AGENCY: U.S. Census Bureau, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on 
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: To ensure consideration, written comments must be submitted on 
or before January 14, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230 (or via the internet 
at [email protected]). You may also submit comments, identified by Docket 
Number USBC-2018-0016 to the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. All comments received are part of the public 
record. No comments will be posted to http://www.regulations.gov for 
public viewing until after the comment period has closed. Comments will 
generally be posted without change. All Personally Identifiable 
Information (for example, name and address) voluntarily submitted by 
the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do not submit Confidential 
Business Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information. 
You may submit attachments to electronic comments in Microsoft Word, 
Excel, WordPerfect, or Adobe PDF file formats only.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument(s) and instructions 
should be directed to Leah Meyer, U.S. Census Bureau, ADDP, HQ-7H157, 
4600 Silver Hill Road, Washington, DC 20233-0001 (301-763-7174 or via 
email at [email protected]).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    Sponsored primarily by the U.S. Department of Health and Human 
Services' (HHS) Health Resources Services Administration's Maternal and 
Child Health Bureau (HRSA MCHB), the National Survey of Children's 
Health (NSCH) is designed to produce data on the physical and emotional 
health of children under 18 years of age who live in the United States. 
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA), and United States Department of Health and 
Human Services' Center for Disease Control and Prevention, National 
Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (HHS/CDC/NCBDDD) 
sponsor supplemental questions on the NSCH. The NSCH collects 
information on factors related to the well-being of children, including 
access to health care, in-home medical

[[Page 56288]]

care, family interactions, parental health, school and after-school 
experiences, and neighborhood characteristics. The goal of the 2019 
NSCH is to provide HRSA MCHB with the necessary data to support the 
production of national estimates yearly and state-based estimates with 
pooled samples on the health and well-being of children, their 
families, and their communities as well as estimates of the prevalence 
and impact of children with special health care needs.

Treatment Groups and Experiments

    We have made minor content revisions for the 2019 NSCH. We also 
plan to monitor the continued effectiveness of unconditional incentives 
(the relative benefit for reducing survey non-response by providing a 
$0, $1, $2, or $5 incentive as a token of appreciation) and 
modifications to data collection strategies based on modeled 
information about paper or internet response preference. We will test 
an envelope overprint, a short message and simple image printed to the 
outside of the invitation envelope, designed to encourage respondents 
to open and read the invitation and a modified design for the screener 
invitation letter. We will also conduct a small test of a new screener 
card, a mechanism to more efficiently screen address eligibility. We 
will select approximately 184,000 addresses as the 2019 NSCH sample; 
around 4,000 of those addresses will be randomly assigned to the 
screener card test. Results from prior year surveys were used to inform 
the decisions made regarding this 2019 survey project.
    Based on the results from prior survey cycles and available funds, 
an unconditional cash incentive will be included with the initial 
mailing. Survey research indicates that incentives are a necessary and 
cost[hyphen]effective expense for achieving a response rate that 
minimizes nonresponse bias \1\. Our testing to date is consistent with 
this research. Evaluation of previous NSCH cycles showed that there was 
a statistically significant difference in the response rates when 
respondents received an incentive compared to those who were part of 
the control group that did not receive an incentive. The effect of the 
incentive was proportionately larger for household types that were less 
likely to respond in previous years, reducing nonresponse bias. There 
was a larger increase in response for households mailed a $5 incentive 
compared to those mailed a $2 incentive with their initial survey 
invite; both treatments proved effective at encouraging response and 
reducing nonresponse bias in 2018. We will continue to use $2 and $5 
cash incentives going forward, and will include a test of a $1 cash 
incentive. A small group (20% or less) receiving no incentive will be 
included to monitor the effectiveness of the incentive in the initial 
mailing. For respondents who answer a paper screener interview and are 
mailed their first paper topical questionnaire, a $5 incentive will be 
used to reduce bias and gain cooperation for this critical second stage 
of paper questionnaire data collection.
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    \1\ Brick JM, Williams D, Montaquila JM. 2011. 
``Address[hyphen]Based Sampling for Subpopulation Surveys''. Public 
Opinion Quarterly, 75(3): 409-28; Foster EB, Frasier AM, Morrison 
HM, O'Connor KS, Blumberg SJ. 2010. ``All Things Incentive: 
Exploring the Best Combination of Incentive Conditions''. Paper 
presented at the American Association for Public Opinion Research 
annual conference, Chicago, IL.
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    In addition to testing incentives and developing materials, the 
2019 NSCH will continue to serve as a platform to evaluate different 
nonresponse follow-up mailing strategies based on a household's 
likelihood to respond using a paper questionnaire. We assign a paper-
preference probability to every address using American Community Survey 
(ACS) response mode choices, previous NSCH response mode choices, and 
small area geographic characteristics. The 30% of addresses with the 
highest paper-preference probability are assigned to the ``High Paper'' 
group and receive a paper questionnaire with the initial invitation. 
The other 70% of addresses are assigned to the ``High Web'' group and 
receive their first paper questionnaires in the second nonresponse 
follow-up screener invitation.
    Since there continues to be a significant potential for cost 
savings for web data collection over paper data collection, we are 
working to refine and retest an internet response indicator for future 
NSCH production cycles based on the results from prior data collection 
efforts.
    In 2019 and beyond, we will continue the use of a pressure-sealed 
reminder postcard. The reminder postcard will be mailed approximately 
one week after the initial survey invite mailing and the first 
nonresponse follow-up. We originally implemented this strategy because 
the time gap between mailings during the 2016 NSCH proved too long, and 
a significant dip in response flow was observed between mailings. The 
pressure-sealed postcard reminder proved effective in 2017 and 2018 at 
boosting response from the initial mailing and, in 2018, the first 
nonresponse follow-up. The ability to send reminders enclosed with a 
pressure-seal system allows us to include login information for the 
Centurion web instrument as well as specific information about the 
survey. The postcard also allows us to include a paragraph in Spanish 
that will direct the respondent to the Spanish web survey or the 
Telephone Questionnaire Assistance (TQA) line for assistance.
    As in prior administration of the NSCH, the 2019 NSCH will have a 
TQA line available to respondents who experience technical problems 
with the web instrument, have questions about the survey, or need other 
forms of assistance. TQA staff will be able to answer respondent 
questions and concerns, and also collect survey responses over the 
phone--if the respondent calls in and would like to have interviewer 
assistance in completing the interview. Also, respondents can submit 
questions by email. Email Questionnaire Assistance (EQA) agents will 
monitor the email account inbox and respond promptly.
    The 2018 NSCH tested a certified mail sticker, designed to 
encourage respondents to open the invitation envelope and respond to 
the NSCH. The sticker significantly increased response, but did not 
reduce nonresponse bias. The sticker also introduced logistical 
challenges that make current use as a treatment option untenable. 
Instead, we will test an envelope overprint, which is a short message 
on the outside of the envelope that can potentially encourage response 
and reduce nonresponse bias. Half of addresses (approximately 90,000) 
will receive the screener invitation in an envelope with the overprint; 
the other half of addresses will receive our standard white envelope. 
Packages can also include a modified version of the invitation letter 
designed to make the text more accessible, such as relocating some 
necessary information to a text box with a boundary.
    In both internet and paper collection modes, the survey design for 
the 2019 NSCH focuses on first collecting information about the 
children in the household and basic special health care needs, and then 
selecting a child from the household for follow-up to collect 
additional detailed topical information. If there is more than one 
eligible child in a household, a single child will be selected based on 
a sampling algorithm that considers the age and number of children as 
well as the presence of children with special health care needs. We 
estimate that, from the original 180,000 selected addresses that are 
assigned to the primary production cycle (excluding the 4,000 addresses

[[Page 56289]]

assigned to the screener card test), our target screener return rate of 
40.5% will yield approximately 72,900 responses to the screener. We 
then estimate that 50% of households from the first phase of the 
screener will be eligible to receive a topical questionnaire 
(households with children), and 70% of these households with children 
will return the topical questionnaire, resulting in approximately 
25,515 completed topical interviews.\2\ A household could be selected 
for one of three age-based topical surveys: 0-to-5-year-old children, 
6-to-11-year-old children, or 12-to-17-year-old children.
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    \2\ The topical return rate was calculated using an average of 
the web topical return rate (95%) and the paper topical return rate 
(45%). The return rate includes fully complete topicals and 
sufficient partial topicals out of all completed screeners. The 
completion rate (31% for topicals) and response rate (40.4%) 
calculations on the following page additionally includes households 
in the denominator that are estimated to have eligible children, but 
who did not complete screeners.
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    For the 4,000 screener card test addresses, we anticipate that 50% 
(2,000 addresses) will return the screener card and 10% (400 addresses) 
will use the web instrument.
    Census staff have developed a plan to select a production sample of 
approximately 184,000 households (addresses) from a Master Address File 
(MAF)-based sampling frame, with split panels to test mode of 
administration (i.e., high-web and low-web), and improvements to 
contact materials and strategies. Based on results of the prior NSCH 
incentive experiments, we plan to use small, unconditional cash 
incentives with a control group receiving no incentive to monitor the 
effectiveness of the incentive expenditures. For respondents who answer 
the paper screener and are mailed a paper topical questionnaire, an 
additional incentive is expected for that mailing. The recommendation 
for the amount of this secondary incentive will be based on the results 
of the 2016 NSCH and available funding. From prior cycles of the NSCH, 
using American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) 
definitions of response, we can expect an overall screener completion 
rate for the 2019 NSCH to be about 45% and a 31% overall topical 
completion rate.\3\ This is different from the total overall response 
rate, which we expect to be about 40.4%.\4\
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    \3\ Screener Completion Rate is the propotion of screener-
eligible households (i.e., occupied residences) that completed a 
screener. It is equal to (S+X)/(S+X+R+e(UR+UO)), where S is the 
count of completed screeners with children, X is completed screeners 
without children, R, is screener refusals, and e(UR+UO) is the 
estimated count of screener eligible households among nonresponding 
addressess.
    The Tropical Completion Rate is the proportion of topical-
eligible houshoulds (i.e., occupied residences with children 
present) that completed a topical questionnaire. It is equal to I/
HCt, where I is the count of completed topicals and HCt is the 
estimated count of households with children in the sample or 
S+R+(S+R)/(S+X+R)*e(UR+UO).
    \4\ Total Response Rate is the proportion of screener-eligible 
households that completed a screener or topical questionnaire. It is 
equal to (X+I+P)/(X+I+P+RS+eUS), where I is the count of completed 
topicals, P is the count of sufficient partial completed topicals, 
RS is screener refusals, and eUS is the estimated count of screener 
eligible households among nonresponding addresses.
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II. Method of Collection

Web Push

    The production 2019 NSCH plan for the web push data collection 
design includes 70% of the estimated 180,000 primary production 
addresses receiving an initial invite with instructions on how to 
complete an English or Spanish-language screening questionnaire via the 
web. Households that decide to complete the web-based survey will be 
taken through the screening questionnaire to determine if they screen 
into one of the three topical instruments. Households that list at 
least one child who is 0 to 17 years old in the screener are directed 
into a topical questionnaire immediately after the last screener 
question. If a household in the web push treatment group decides to 
complete the paper screener, the household may have a chance to receive 
an additional topical questionnaire incentive.

Mixed-Mode

    The production 2019 NSCH plan for the mixed-mode data collection 
design includes approximately 30% of the 180,000 primary production 
addresses receiving both an initial invite with a paper screening 
questionnaire and instructions on how to complete an English or Spanish 
language screening questionnaire via the web. Households that decide to 
complete the web-based survey will follow the same screening and 
topical selection path as the web push. Households that choose to 
complete the paper screener questionnaire rather than completing the 
survey on the internet and that have eligible children will be mailed a 
paper topical questionnaire upon receipt of their completed paper 
screener at the Census Bureau's National Processing Center. If a 
household in the mixed-mode group chooses to complete the paper 
screener instead of completing by internet, then the household may 
receive an additional topical questionnaire incentive.

Follow-Up Reminder Design

    Prior to Census administration of the survey, the NSCH was 
conducted by the Health Services Resources Administration's Maternal 
and Child Health Bureau and the National Center for Health Statistics. 
As such, the survey information was sent to respondents under 
letterhead from the Department of Health and Human Services and the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with the Director of NCHS 
signing the letters to the respondent.
    In the 2016 NSCH, we tested both standard contact branding utilized 
for Census Bureau surveys, which included Census Bureau letterhead and 
the Census Director's signature, and an alternative sent with HRSA MCHB 
branding. The first follow-up mailing, sent to non-responding 
households approximately three-weeks after their initial invitation to 
respond to the survey by web, was split into two groups. The first 
group was sent a reminder to participate with their web login and 
password under standard Census Bureau letterhead. Response was higher 
from those addresses receiving the standard Census branding.

Non-Response Follow-Up for the ``High Web'' Group and ``High Paper'' 
Group

    The ``High Web'' group will receive two web survey invitation 
letters requesting their participation in the survey prior to receiving 
their first paper screener questionnaire in the second follow-up 
mailing. The ``High Paper'' group will receive both a web survey 
invitation letter along with a mailed paper screener questionnaire with 
the initial invitation and each follow-up mailing. Once a household in 
the ``High Web'' group receives a paper screener questionnaire, it will 
then have the option to either complete the web-based survey or 
complete the mailed paper screener, similar to the ``High Paper'' 
group. If the household chooses to complete the mailed paper 
questionnaire, then they would then be considered part of the mailout/
mailback paper-and-pencil interviewing treatment group. The paper-and-
pencil treatment group receives a paper topical questionnaire, if there 
is at least one eligible child who is 0 to 17 years old listed on the 
screener. Nonresponse follow-up for the topical questionnaire will 
include up to one pressure-sealed postcard and up to three mailings 
including the paper topical questionnaire.
    The 2019 NSCH will also include a small screener card test. The 
screener card is a single-page instrument designed to screen household 
eligibility

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for the NSCH. An additional 4,000 addresses will receive the screener 
card in place of the traditional screener instrument. They will have 
the option to report only if there are children present at the address 
or not. Respondents will also have the option to report using the web 
instrument. We anticipate that the screener card instrument will reduce 
respondent burden for households without children and allow us to more 
efficiently identify households with children.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0607-0990.
    Form Number(s): NSCH-S1 (English Screener), NSCH-T1 (English 
Topical for 0- to 5-year-old children), NSCH-T2 (English Topical for 6- 
to 11-year-old children), NSCH-T3 (English Topical for 12- to 17-year-
old children), NSCH-S-S1 (Spanish Screener), NSCH-S-T1 (Spanish Topical 
for 0- to 5-year-old children), NSCH-S-T2 (Spanish Topical for 6- to 
11-year-old children), NSCH-S-T3 (Spanish Topical for 12- to 17-year-
old children), and NSCH-SC1 (Screener Card--perforated).
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Parents, researchers, policymakers, and family 
advocates.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 72,900 for the screener, 25,515 
for the topical, 2,000 for the screener card, and 400 screener card 
respondents using the web instrument.
    Estimated Time per Response: 5 minutes per screener response, 33 
minutes per topical response, 2 minutes per screener card response, and 
38 minutes per screener card response using the web instrument.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 20,428 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0 (This is not the cost of 
respondents' time, but the indirect costs respondents may incur for 
such things as purchases of specialized software or hardware needed to 
report, or expenditures for accounting or records maintenance services 
required specifically by the collection.)
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.

    Legal Authority: Title 13 U.S.C. Section 8(b);42 U.S.C. 701; 
1769d(a)(4)(B); 42 U.S.C. 241; 7 U.S.C. 136r(a); and 15 U.S.C. 2609.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is 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 
(including hours and cost) 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.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental Lead PRA Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-24681 Filed 11-9-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-07-P