[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 48 (Friday, March 11, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13340-13342]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-5624]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request--WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counseling Study
AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this
notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment
on the proposed collection of data for the second phase of the WIC
Breastfeeding Peer Counseling Study. The first phase of this study
examined the implementation of the Loving Support peer counseling
program in State and local WIC agencies across the country; the final
report on this first phase of the study may be downloaded from http://www.fns.usda.gov/ora/ (see ``WIC studies''). This second phase is a
revision of a currently approved collection which will assess the
impact of including in-person peer counseling as part of the Loving
Support program on breastfeeding outcomes for WIC participants.
DATES: Written comments should be received on or before May 10, 2011 to
be assured of consideration.
ADDRESSES: Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection
of
[[Page 13341]]
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 of the
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions that were used; (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
those who are to respond, including use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
Comments may be sent to: Steve Carlson, Director, Office of
Research and Analysis, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 1014, Alexandria, VA 22302.
Comments may also be submitted via fax to the attention of Steve
Carlson at 703-305-2576 or via e-mail to [email protected].
Comments will also be accepted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal.
Go to http://www.regulations.gov, and follow the online instructions
for submitting comments electronically.
All written comments will be open for public inspection at the
office of the Food and Nutrition Service during regular business hours
(8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday) at, 3101 Park Center
Drive, Room 1014, Alexandria, Virginia 22302. All electronic comments
can be viewed through http://www.regulations.gov.
All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the
request for OMB approval. All comments will be a matter of public
record.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or
copies of this information collection should be directed to Steve
Carlson at 703-305-2017.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counseling Study.
OMB Approval Number: 0584-0548.
Expiration Date: 7/31/2011.
Type Of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Abstract: Beginning in Fiscal Year (FY) 2004 and continuing through
to the present, Congress appropriated about $15 million per year for
States to support breastfeeding peer counseling in the Special
Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC);
in FY2010 Congress increased this amount to $80 million per year. Prior
research has suggested that peer counseling may increase breastfeeding
duration rates and is associated with positive outcomes in groups that
have proven difficult for WIC to support in the initiation and
continuation of breastfeeding. The first phase of the WIC Breastfeeding
Peer Counseling study, published in spring 2010, developed a
comprehensive and detailed picture of how the Loving Support Peer
Counseling Program was implemented in States and local WIC agencies
(LWAs) throughout the country. One important finding of this first
phase was that there is variation in the implementation of the Loving
Support peer counseling program in local WIC agencies, particularly
variation in the frequency, timing and location of in-person peer
counseling offered to WIC participants pre- and post-partum. The
proposed second phase of the study will examine how specific variations
in implementing peer counseling using the Loving Support model affect
breastfeeding outcomes. Up to eight local WIC agencies will be invited
to participate in this phase of the study. From these eight local WIC
agencies, approximately 1,800 first-time expectant mothers who certify
for WIC benefits and sign-up to receive peer counseling will be
randomly assigned to one of two conditions: a control group of 900 will
receive their local WIC agency's regular Loving Support peer counseling
services; a treatment group of 900 will be offered Loving Support peer
counseling services that more strongly emphasizes in-person contact
with peer counselors than the agency's regular Loving Support program.
In particular, women in the treatment group will be offered in-person
peer counseling during the first ten days after giving birth.
Affected Public: Individual/Household, State, Local and Tribal
Government. The proposed data collection activities will require two
types of respondent groups: staff at the participating local WIC
agencies; and individual WIC participants who consent to participate in
the study. Multiple respondents from the participating local WIC
agencies may be required to complete each data collection instrument to
be used with local WIC agency staff. These respondents will include the
local WIC director, breastfeeding and peer counseling coordinators,
peer counselors, and the local WIC agency database manager, as well as
individual WIC participants who consent to participate in the study.
Estimated Number of Respondents: The maximum total estimated number
of respondents is 2,110. This total includes eight local WIC Peer
Counseling Coordinators who will participate in two interviews and
complete ten progress reporting forms, one per month for ten months.
The Coordinators will be assisted by eight local WIC directors, eight
local WIC breastfeeding coordinators, and eight local WIC database
managers. Up to 64 Peer Counselors (roughly eight per participating
local WIC agency) will complete a background questionnaire and
participate in an individual interview (or will complete the interview
as part of a focus group). Finally, assuming a 100% response rate,
1,800 WIC participants will participate in two telephone-administered
questionnaires.
Number of Responses per Respondent: The local WIC Peer Counseling
Coordinators at each participating WIC agency will participate in two
interviews, assisted by their local WIC agency's director,
breastfeeding coordinator, and database manager. Each local WIC Peer
Counseling Coordinator will provide ten responses on a progress
reporting form with the assistance of their local WIC agency's database
manager. Up to 64 Peer Counselors (roughly eight per local WIC site)
will complete a background questionnaire and participate in an
interview. Each WIC participant will respond to two telephone-
administered questionnaires.
Estimated Total Annual Responses per Respondent: 3,958.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 1,648 hours.
Estimated Time per Response: 0.42 of an hour or 25 minutes.
FNS estimates that a total reporting and recordkeeping burden of
1,655 hours will result from activities to implement the data
collection instruments. The estimated average response time is 0.42 of
an hour or 25 minutes. See Table 1 below for the estimated total burden
for each type of respondent by instrument type.
[[Page 13342]]
Table 1
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Avg. number
Number responses Total annual Hours per
Affected public Respondent type Instrument respondents per responses response Total burden
respondent
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State, Local and Tribal Local WIC Agency Director Interview........... 8 2.00 16.00 0.50 8.00
Government.
(non-response)........... Pre-screening....... 2 1.00 2.00 0.0835 0.17
Local WIC Breastfeeding Interview........... 8 2.00 16.00 1.00 16.00
Coordinator.
(non-response)........... Interview........... 2 1.00 2.00 0.0835 0.17
Local Peer Counseling Interview........... 8 2.00 16.00 2.00 32.00
Coordinator.
(non-response)........... Pre-screening....... 2 1.00 2.00 0.0835 0.17
Local Peer Counseling Progress Reporting 8 10.00 80.00 3.00 240.00
Coordinator. Form.
Local WIC Agency Database Interview........... 8 1.00 8.00 0.50 4.00
Manager.
(non-response)........... Pre-screening....... 2 1.00 2.00 0.0835 0.17
Local WIC Agency Database Progress Reporting 8 10.00 80.00 0.50 40.00
Manager. Form.
Peer Counselor........... Interview........... 64 1.00 64.00 1.50 96.00
(non-response)........... Pre-screening....... 6 1.00 6.00 0.0835 0.50
Peer Counselor........... Questionnaire....... 64 1.00 64.00 0.25 16.00
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Total SA Reporting burden.... ......................... .................... 110 3.25 358.00 1.22 436.67
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Individual/Household............. WIC Participant.......... Questionnaire....... 1,800 2.00 3,600.00 0.334 1,202.40
(non-response)........... Pre-screening....... 200 1.00 200.00 0.0835 16.70
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Total I/H Burden............. ......................... .................... 2,000.00 1.90 3,800.00 0.32 1,219.10
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Total burden............. ......................... .................... 2,110.00 1.88 3,958.00 0.42 1,655.77
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Dated: March 4, 2011.
Julia Paradis,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-5624 Filed 3-10-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P