passback 9-24-07

OMB Questions on Attitudes Survey
1. ACF’s response to question #A10: Please check with your GC to make sure that the
Privacy Act, FOIA act, etc. provide ACF the statutory authority to provide assurances of
confidentiality? For example, if ACF were FOIA’d, would ACF be able to withstand the
FOIA request and keep the materials private? If not, please remove all uses of the word
“confidential” and replace with “private to the extent permitted by law.” Also, please add
“to the extent permitted by law” in all cases when ACF says the information will be “kept
private.” For example, Appendix C (parent interview) says “As permitted by law, all of
your answers… will be kept private…” Unless ACF has the statutory authority to provide
this level of privacy, it would be more accurate to say “all of your answers will be kept
private to the extent permitted by law.”
We are presently checking with our General Counsel to ensure that we are able to
provide an assurance of confidentiality.
We will add the phrase “to the extent permitted by law”.
2. A16 says that ACF is trying to explore how definitions of abstinence relate to exposure to
the abstinence message. Please clarify where respondents are asked to provide a
definition for abstinence.
A previous version of the survey asked respondents to identify how they define
abstinence. The survey has since been revised so that this question no longer exists.
Rather than explore how parent and adolescent definitions of abstinence relate to
exposure to the abstinence message, the survey focuses on parent and adolescent’s
knowledge and attitudes towards abstinence and abstinence education. The analysis will
account for the parent-adolescent relationship and other background characteristics.
In developing the survey, the cognitive testing showed that exploring the meaning of
abstinence and establishing a clear definition for abstinence could lead to confusion
among the respondents. The word 'abstinence' has thus been removed and replaced
throughout with variations of the phrase 'waiting to have sex.'
3. B4 says that questions were changed based on cognitive interviews and pre-tests.
Please specify what has changed (a track changes version of the questions would be
helpful). Also, are the ICs submitted as part of this package different from the ones
submitted as part of the supporting statement?
The survey has undergone further revisions since this time; primarily relevant to wording
and question order. ACF will submit a final version with changes tracked no later than
the first week of October.
4. Surveys: the race/ethnicity questions must comply with OMB standards. Question 5 on
the Parent Interview has an incorrect category for Native Hawaiian; it should be “Native
Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander,” not Alaska Native. Also, the “other” race category
cannot be read to respondents as a response option.
ACF will revise the survey accordingly.
5. Please provide more information about how the results of the survey will be published
and used. It is not clear why a public opinion survey like this is needed for “grant
administration and technical assistance activities.”
This study will provide lots of useful information, including:
•

What are the views of parents and their adolescent children about sexual
intercourse?

•

How do they communicate their views with one another?

•

What kind of communication is desired?

•

Where do youth get information about sex from?

With answers to these kinds of questions programs will be able to:
•

Reach out to youth and parents with messages that resonate with their existing
views.

•

Identify the gaps in communication between youth and parents that need to be
addressed.

•

Identify potential stakeholders (like schools, doctor offices, places of worship, or
other community organizations) that they can partner with to create an
environment that supports and encourages abstinence.

The findings of the report will be shared with grantees through conferences and
conference calls or webcasts. The findings may also inform the ACF funded "Parents,
Speak Up! National Campaign.” This media campaign encourages parents to talk with
their children about waiting until marriage to have sex and includes a variety of video,
audio and print materials.
6. Please provide more information about your plans for a second survey to compare to this
one and the purpose of doing this. Are the results intended for evaluating a program or
public information campaign?
ACF has no plans to conduct a second survey to compare to this one. As mentioned
above, the results of this survey will inform the "Parents, Speak Up" National Campaign.
7. Please provide a copy of the article by Blumberg, Cynamon, Osborn, and Olson (2003)
cited on page B-7.
ACF will send a copy of the article requested.