Women Not Trying to Get Pregnant but Who Are at Risk of Having an AEP
Hello. My name is ____ and I work with RTI International, a not for profit research company. I want to thank you for participating today. We are working on a project sponsored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, to learn about women’s views about alcohol and reproductive health. Ultimately CDC would like to use this information to develop better health messages. My role is to guide our discussion today and to encourage everyone to share their thoughts and ideas.
The group discussion will take about 1 ½ hours. Your participation in this discussion is voluntary and you can end your participation and leave the group at any time. The discussion will be audio recorded so that I can give you my full attention without having to take a lot of notes. There is also a note taker present behind the mirror. Your name will not be connected to any of the written notes or transcripts. Everything you say will be kept private. Results will be presented without any names and quotes will not be attributed to any specific individual. At the end of our discussion, we will also ask you to fill out a short, anonymous survey that will help us describe the women who talked with us today.
Public reporting burden of this collection of information is estimated to average 80 minutes, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to CDC/ATSDR Reports Clearance Officer; 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS D-74, Atlanta, Georgia 30333; ATTN: PRA (0920-0798)
We have some general rules for our discussion today. We ask that you only use first names when addressing yourself and others. Also, as mentioned on the consent form you signed, we ask that you respect each others’ privacy and do not share what is said in the group once it is over. Please set any phone or other ringing devices to vibrate. If you need to take a call, please step out to do so and join us once you are done.
[MODERATOR GIVES DIRECTIONS TO THE RESTROOMS].
Is it OK if I begin recording now? [TURN ON RECORDER]
Do you have any questions for me before I ask you to introduce yourselves?
I’d like each of you to introduce yourself, and have you tell us about something you like to do for fun.
I. KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES, AND BELIEFS (@ 20 minutes)
We’re going to start off our discussion by talking about your thoughts on alcohol use during pregnancy.
What thoughts come to mind when you think about a woman drinking alcohol during pregnancy?
When a woman is pregnant, how much do you think is too much when it comes to drinking alcohol?
PROBE
Any alcohol use
One drink/month
One drink/week
One drink/day
Binge drinking
What have you heard about drinking during different stages of pregnancy?
PROBE Is there any time during pregnancy when it is OK to drink?
At the beginning
In the middle
At the end
Why do you think that?
Do you think the baby is affected when the mother drinks alcohol during pregnancy? What problems do you think that drinking during pregnancy might cause?
PROBE:
Miscarriage
Mental retardation
Low birth weight
Birth defects
Alcohol withdrawal (FALSE)
Dehydrated baby (FALSE)
What do you know about fetal alcohol syndrome or FAS? How would you describe it?
PROBE:
abnormal facial features
growth deficiencies
central nervous system (CNS) problems
problems with learning, memory, attention span, communication, vision, and/or hearing
fetal death
What are some of the reasons women like you drink alcohol?
PROBE:
To relax
Social (to be polite, celebrate)
Psychological (addicted, decrease anxiety)
Intrinsic (just enjoy taste, thirsty)
Peer pressure
Health benefits
What are some of the reasons women like you choose not to drink alcohol?
PROBE:
Loss of control
Hangover
Responsibility (e.g. no drinking & driving)
Cost
Risks involved with combining alcohol use and sexual intercourse- IMPORTANT
What are reasons that a woman might drink alcohol while pregnant?
PROBE:
To relax
Social (to be polite, celebrate)
Psychological (addicted, decrease anxiety)
Intrinsic (just enjoy taste, thirsty)
Peer pressure
What are reasons why a woman might stop drinking or decrease alcohol consumption during pregnancy?
PROBE:
Concern for fetus
Adverse physiological effects (nausea, stomach irritation, headache, diuretic effects, smell)
Educational programs
Significant others
Advice of doctor
II. SOCIAL INFLUENCES (@ 15 minutes)
Think about the people who you spend time with. Which of them drink alcohol?
PROBE:
Your partner
Your friends
Family members
Co-workers
How would you react if a friend/partner/family member/co-worker pressured you to drink alcohol? What if they disapproved of your drinking alcohol?
Do you think your opinion about alcohol use during pregnancy is shared by your partner? Friends? Family members? Society in general?
PROBE: What are their opinions about alcohol use during pregnancy?
Would you discuss the issue of pregnancy and drinking alcohol with anyone? If so, who?
PROBE:
A family member
A friend
A health care provider
III. SKILLS AND DRINKING ALTERNATIVES (@ 10 minutes)
If there was a chance you might be pregnant and someone offered you a drink, what would you say or do? Why?
PROBE:
How comfortable would you be with just saying no? Do you think that would work?
How would you feel about providing an explanation for refusing – such as that you might be pregnant?
What do you think about just leaving the situation to get away from the pressure to drink?
What are ways that you might try to avoid situations where you may feel pressure to drink alcohol?
IV. SOURCES OF INFORMATION (@ 15 minutes)
What is your main source for health information?
PROBE:
Family
Internet
Friends
Health care provider
TV/Radio
Pamphlets and other literature
If you wanted more information on drinking during pregnancy, where would you go? Who or what would be a trusted source of information?
What has your health care provider told you about the risks of alcohol use if you are having sex without using contraception?
Have you heard any government recommendations or warnings regarding alcohol use during pregnancy? If so, what have you heard?
PROBE:
How do you feel about the recommendation that women abstain from alcohol use throughout their pregnancy? (i.e., that women should not drink any alcohol at any time during their pregnancy)
What are the most important messages to communicate about alcohol and pregnancy to someone like you?
Before we wrap up, as you reflect on the questions I have asked and the things you have heard from others, what recommendations do you have for preventing alcohol use during pregnancy?
Now we are going to ask you to complete a short survey to provide us some basic demographic and descriptive information. Please remember that your answers will be confidential and anonymous, and that you can choose not to answer a question if it makes you feel uncomfortable, or choose to end the survey at any time.
[MODERATOR DISTRIBUTES SURVEYS AND PENS]
[MODERATOR COLLECTS SURVEYS IN AN ENVELOPE CODED WITH FOCUS GROUP NUMBER]
Before you leave here today I wanted to provide you with some pamphlets and fact sheets which provide information on alcohol use during pregnancy. Please let me know if you have any questions.
[MODERATOR DISTRIBUTES FACT SHEET AND PAMPHLETS]
Thank you for your time. Please check out at the front desk to get your incentive.
Women Who Are Currently Trying to Get Pregnant or Who Plan to Become Pregnant in the Next Year
Hello. My name is ____ and I work with RTI International, a not for profit research company. I want to thank you for participating today. We are working on a project sponsored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, to learn about women’s views about alcohol, and reproductive health. Ultimately CDC would like to use this information to develop better health messages. My role is to guide our discussion today and to encourage everyone to share their thoughts and ideas.
The group discussion will take about 1 ½ hours. Your participation in this discussion is voluntary and you can end your participation and leave the group at any time. The discussion will be audio recorded so that I can give you my full attention without having to take a lot of notes. There is also a note taker present behind the mirror. Your name will not be connected to any of the written notes or transcripts. Everything you say will be kept private. Results will be presented without any names and quotes will not be attributed to any specific individual. At the end of our discussion, we will also ask you to fill out a short, anonymous survey that will help us describe the women who talked with us today.
We have some general rules for our discussion today. We ask that you only use first names when addressing yourself and others. Also, as mentioned on the consent form you signed, we ask that you respect each others’ privacy and do not share what is said in the group once it is over. Please set any phone or other ringing devices to vibrate. If you need to take a call, please step out to do so and join us once you are done.
[MODERATOR GIVES DIRECTIONS TO THE RESTROOMS].
Is it OK if I begin recording now? [TURN ON RECORDER]
Do you have any questions for me before I ask you to introduce yourselves?
I’d like each of you to introduce yourself, and have you tell us about something you like to do for fun.
I. KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES, AND BELIEFS (@ 20 minutes)
We’re going to start off our discussion by talking about your thoughts on alcohol use during pregnancy.
What thoughts come to mind when you think about a woman drinking alcohol during pregnancy?
When a woman is pregnant, how much do you think is too much when it comes to drinking alcohol?
PROBE
Any alcohol use
One drink/month
One drink/week
One drink/day
Binge drinking
What have you heard about drinking during different stages of pregnancy?
PROBE Is there any time during pregnancy when it is OK to drink?
At the beginning
In the middle
At the end
Why do you think that?
Do you think the baby is affected when the mother drinks alcohol during pregnancy? What problems do you think that drinking during pregnancy might cause?
PROBE:
Miscarriage
Mental retardation
Low birth weight
Birth defects
Alcohol withdrawal (FALSE)
Dehydrated baby (FALSE)
What do you know about fetal alcohol syndrome or FAS? How would you describe it?
PROBE:
abnormal facial features
growth deficiencies
central nervous system (CNS) problems
problems with learning, memory, attention span, communication, vision, and/or hearing
fetal death
What are some of the reasons women like you drink alcohol?
PROBE:
To relax
Social (to be polite, celebrate)
Psychological (addicted, decrease anxiety)
Intrinsic (just enjoy taste, thirsty)
Peer pressure
Health benefits
What are some of the reasons women like you choose not to drink alcohol?
PROBE:
Loss of control
Hangover
Responsibility (e.g. no drinking & driving)
Cost
Risks involved with combining alcohol use and sexual intercourse- IMPORTANT
What are reasons that a woman might drink alcohol while pregnant?
PROBE:
To relax
Social (to be polite, celebrate)
Psychological (addicted, decrease anxiety)
Intrinsic (just enjoy taste, thirsty)
Peer pressure
What are reasons why a woman might stop drinking or decrease alcohol consumption during pregnancy?
PROBE:
Concern for fetus
Adverse physiological effects (nausea, stomach irritation, headache, diuretic effects, smell)
Educational programs
Significant others
Advice of doctor
II. SOCIAL INFLUENCES (@ 15 minutes)
Think about the people who you spend time with. Which of them drink alcohol?
PROBE:
Your partner
Your friends
Family members
Co-workers
How would you react if a friend/partner/family member/co-worker pressured you to drink alcohol? What if they disapproved of your drinking alcohol?
Do you think your opinion about alcohol use during pregnancy is shared by your partner? Friends? Family members? Society in general?
PROBE: What are their opinions about alcohol use during pregnancy?
Would you discuss the issue of pregnancy and drinking alcohol with anyone? If so, who?
PROBE:
A family member
A friend
A health care provider
III. SKILLS AND DRINKING ALTERNATIVES (@ 10 minutes)
If there was a chance you might be pregnant and someone offered you a drink, what would you say or do? Why?
PROBE:
How comfortable would you be with just saying no? Do you think that would work?
How would you feel about providing an explanation for refusing – such as that you might be pregnant?
What do you think about just leaving the situation to get away from the pressure to drink?
What are ways that you might try to avoid situations where you may feel pressure to drink alcohol?
If you were trying to get pregnant and were offered a drink of alcohol, how would you respond? Why?
IV. SOURCES OF INFORMATION (@ 15 minutes)
What is your main source for health information?
PROBE:
Family
Internet
Friends
Health care provider
TV/Radio
Pamphlets and other literature
If you wanted more information on drinking during pregnancy, where would you go? Who or what would be a trusted source of information?
What has your health care provider told you about the risks of alcohol use if you are having sex without using contraception?
What has your health care provider told you about preparing for pregnancy?
Have you heard any government recommendations or warnings regarding alcohol use during pregnancy? If so, what have you heard?
PROBE:
How do you feel about the recommendation that women abstain from alcohol use throughout their pregnancy? (i.e., that women should not drink any alcohol at any time during their pregnancy)
What are the most important messages to communicate about alcohol and pregnancy to someone like you?
Before we wrap up, as you reflect on the questions I have asked and the things you have heard from others, what recommendations do you have for preventing alcohol use during pregnancy?
Now we are going to ask you to complete a short survey to provide us some basic demographic and descriptive information. Please remember that your answers will be confidential and anonymous, and that you can choose not to answer a question if it makes you feel uncomfortable, or choose to end the survey at any time.
[MODERATOR DISTRIBUTES SURVEYS AND PENS]
[MODERATOR COLLECTS SURVEYS IN AN ENVELOPE CODED WITH FOCUS GROUP NUMBER]
Before you leave here today I wanted to provide you with some pamphlets and fact sheets which provide information on alcohol use during pregnancy. Please let me know if you have any questions.
[MODERATOR DISTRIBUTES FACT SHEET AND PAMPHLETS]
Thank you for your time. Please check out at the front desk to get your incentive.
Women Who Have Had a Baby within the Past Year
Hello. My name is ____ and I work with RTI International, a not for profit research company. I want to thank you for participating today. We are working on a project sponsored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, to learn about women’s views about alcohol and reproductive health. Ultimately CDC would like to use this information to develop better health messages. My role is to guide our discussion today and to encourage everyone to share their thoughts and ideas.
The group discussion will take about 1 ½ hours. Your participation in this discussion is voluntary and you can end your participation and leave the group at any time. The discussion will be audio recorded so that I can give you my full attention without having to take a lot of notes. There is also a note taker present behind the mirror. Your name will not be connected to any of the written notes or transcripts. Everything you say will be kept private. Results will be presented without any names and quotes will not be attributed to any specific individual. At the end of our discussion, we will also ask you to fill out a short, anonymous survey that will help us describe the women who talked with us today.
We have some general rules for our discussion today. We ask that you only use first names when addressing yourself and others. Also, as mentioned on the consent form you signed, we ask that you respect each others’ privacy and do not share what is said in the group once it is over. Please set any phone or other ringing devices to vibrate. If you need to take a call, please step out to do so and join us once you are done.
[MODERATOR GIVES DIRECTIONS TO THE RESTROOMS].
Is it OK if I begin recording now? [TURN ON RECORDER]
Do you have any questions for me before I ask you to introduce yourselves?
I’d like each of you to introduce yourself, and have you tell us about something you like to do for fun.
I. KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES, AND BELIEFS (@ 20 minutes)
We’re going to start off our discussion by talking about your thoughts on alcohol use during pregnancy.
What thoughts come to mind when you think about a woman drinking alcohol during pregnancy?
When a woman is pregnant, how much do you think is too much when it comes to drinking alcohol?
PROBE
Any alcohol use
One drink/month
One drink/week
One drink/day
Binge drinking
What have you heard about drinking during different stages of pregnancy?
PROBE Is there any time during pregnancy when it is OK to drink?
At the beginning
In the middle
At the end
Why do you think that?
Do you think the baby is affected when the mother drinks alcohol during pregnancy? What problems do you think that drinking during pregnancy might cause?
PROBE:
Miscarriage
Mental retardation
Low birth weight
Birth defects
Alcohol withdrawal (FALSE)
Dehydrated baby (FALSE)
What do you know about fetal alcohol syndrome or FAS? How would you describe it?
PROBE:
abnormal facial features
growth deficiencies
central nervous system (CNS) problems
problems with learning, memory, attention span, communication, vision, and/or hearing
fetal death
What are some of the reasons women like you drink alcohol?
PROBE:
To relax
Social (to be polite, celebrate)
Psychological (addicted, decrease anxiety)
Intrinsic (just enjoy taste, thirsty)
Peer pressure
Health benefits
What are some of the reasons women like you choose not to drink alcohol?
PROBE:
Loss of control
Hangover
Responsibility (e.g. no drinking & driving)
Cost
Risks involved with combining alcohol use and sexual intercourse- IMPORTANT
What are reasons that a woman might drink alcohol while pregnant?
PROBE:
To relax
Social (to be polite, celebrate)
Psychological (addicted, decrease anxiety)
Intrinsic (just enjoy taste, thirsty)
Peer pressure
What are reasons why a woman might stop drinking or decrease alcohol consumption during pregnancy?
PROBE:
Concern for fetus
Adverse physiological effects (nausea, stomach irritation, headache, diuretic effects, smell)
Educational programs
Significant others
Advice of doctor
II. SOCIAL INFLUENCES (@15 minutes)
Think about the people who you spend time with. Which of them drink alcohol?
PROBE:
Your partner
Your friends
Family members
Co-worker
How would you react if a friend/partner/family member/co-worker pressured you to drink alcohol? What if they disapproved of your drinking alcohol?
Do you think your opinion about alcohol use during pregnancy is shared by your partner? Friends? Family members? Society in general?
PROBE: What are their opinions about alcohol use during pregnancy?
What ways did your significant other/partner encourage or discourage your drinking during pregnancy?
PROBE:
They drank while you were pregnant
They took you to places where others drank
They kept alcohol out of your home
They expressed clear disapproval
Did you discuss the issue of pregnancy and drinking alcohol with a family member or friend? Why or why not?
III. SKILLS AND DRINKING ALTERNATIVES (@ 10 minutes)
1. Were you ever offered a drink while you were pregnant? If so, how did you respond? Why?
PROBE:
How comfortable would you be with just saying no? Do you think that would work?
How would you feel about providing an explanation for refusing – such as that you might be pregnant?
What do you think about just leaving the situation to get away from the pressure to drink?
What are ways that you might try to avoid situations where you may feel pressure to drink alcohol?
IV. SOURCES OF INFORMATION (@15 minutes)
What is your main source for health information?
PROBE:
Family
Internet
Friends
Health care provider
TV/Radio
Pamphlets and other literature
If you wanted more information on drinking during pregnancy, where would you go? Who or what would be a trusted source of information?
What has your health care provider told you about drinking alcohol during pregnancy?
PROBE: Who was it that provided that information?
Doctor
Nurse
Midwife
childbirth class trainer
Have you heard any government recommendations or warnings regarding alcohol use during pregnancy? If so, what have you heard?
PROBE:
How do you feel about the recommendation that women abstain from alcohol use throughout their pregnancy? (i.e., that women should not drink any alcohol at any time during their pregnancy)
What are the most important messages to communicate about alcohol and pregnancy to someone like you?
Before we wrap up, as you reflect on the questions I have asked and the things you have heard from others, what recommendations do you have for preventing alcohol use during pregnancy?
Now we are going to ask you to complete a short survey to provide us some basic demographic and descriptive information. Please remember that you answers will be confidential and anonymous, and that you can choose not to answer a question if it makes you feel uncomfortable, or choose to end the survey at any time.
[MODERATOR DISTRIBUTES SURVEYS AND PENS]
[MODERATOR COLLECTS SURVEYS IN AN ENVELOPE CODED WITH FOCUS GROUP NUMBER]
Before you leave here today I wanted to provide you with some pamphlets and fact sheets which provide information on alcohol use during pregnancy. Please let me know if you have any questions.
[MODERATOR DISTRIBUTES FACT SHEET AND PAMPHLETS]
Thank you for your time. Please check out at the front desk to get your incentive.
| File Type | application/msword |
| File Title | Attachment 3—Focus Group protocols |
| Author | Elvira Elek |
| Last Modified By | shari steinberg |
| File Modified | 2009-10-05 |
| File Created | 2009-08-04 |