CHATS Attachment I_revised_02272012

ATTACHMENT I

Study Brochure

STUDY BROCHURE

Children’s Health after the Storms (CHATS)

What is the Children’s Health after the Storms (CHATS) Study?

The Gulf Coast is still feeling the effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Gulf Coast children may have faced a number of issues after the Storms, from mold in homes and schools that were flooded, to renovations, to chemicals in the air in FEMA-supplied trailers. Communities in the Gulf Coast continue to share concerns about the ways these issues may affect the health of our children.

We created Children’s Health after the Storms (CHATS) to find out about the health of children in the Gulf Coast after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. This is so that we can better understand the effects of living conditions – such as storm damaged housing, FEMA-supplied trailers, and housing unaffected by the storms – on children in this area. During the first part of CHATS, we will try to enroll a small number of eligible children from Louisiana and Mississippi only. Because many families left the area in the years after the storms, this part of the study will help us know if we can find enough eligible families. If this first part of the study succeeds, we can then do a full study for which we will need many more families.

In the coming weeks, CHATS will enroll children who are now ages 3 to 15 who lived in the areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. By taking part, you will help us understand and address the impact of the storms on children’s health.

Who are the sponsors of CHATS?

CHATS is being done by RTI International with local Louisiana and Mississippi partners, including the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Coastal Family Health Center, and the Louisiana Public Health Institute. The Study is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CHATS is part of CDC’s continuing commitment to the people who lived in FEMA-supplied trailers after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

How will CHATS help children and families?

Participating families will get their children’s blood, urine and breathing test results and results of air quality tests done in their homes within 5 months of each completed assessment. If CHATS finds areas of concern about a child’s health, we will provide a resource list of clinics and doctors to contact for help. If the child needs rapid health care, we will contact you immediately.

Who can take part in CHATS?

Households have been randomly chosen from among families with children that lived in the storm-affected areas at the time of Hurricanes Katrina or Rita, OR were born after the hurricanes, but have since lived in the storm-affected areas in either Louisiana or Mississippi.

Even if your child has been healthy since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, we want you to take part. To help us understand the long-term health effects of the living conditions in these areas after Hurricanes Katrina or Rita, we strongly encourage parents or guardians of children who have been healthy as well as children who have been ill to take part in CHATS.

Will this harm my child?

Any potential risk to your child is minimal. The tests will be done in the comfort of your home by a professional nurse from LSU Health Sciences Center in Louisiana or Coastal Family Health Center in Mississippi.

Will our family’s personal information be kept private?

Yes. All responses and samples collected will be kept strictly private. CHATS will not share your child’s personal information or your personal information with anyone outside of the study. As added protection, RTI has obtained a Federal Certificate of Confidentiality from the Department of Health and Human Services for the CHATS study to protect the privacy of people in the study. Having this Certificate means that we cannot be forced to give your names or other identifying characteristics to anyone not connected with the CHATS study, even if in a court of law, unless you say it’s okay. Please note that a Certificate of Confidentiality protects the researchers from being forced to disclose your personal data but it will not protect you if you decide to tell others of your family’s involvement in the CHATS study. You should consider protecting your own privacy when talking to others. Anything published about CHATS will be in summary form only and will not identify anyone who takes part in CHATS.

How is RTI working with our communities?

RTI is working with local community leaders and family service organizations serving families in the community who have joined us to help spread the word about CHATS. These organizations are also helping us make sure your voice is heard, and will share with us any concerns or questions you may have about the study.

By taking part, you will help us understand and address the impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on children’s health.

Where can we learn more about the study?

• speak with a CHATS team member, call our toll-free telephone number at 1-877-834-7088

• email us at CHATS@rti.org

• look for local community organizations, private businesses, churches and other religious institutions that display the CHATS logo

• visit our website at www.chats.rti.org.

Study Brochure I-3