Attachment C-Privacy Act Memo

DATE:

June 28, 2012

TO:

Linda Nebeling, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D., FADA
Chief, Health Behaviors Research Branch
Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences
National Cancer Institute

FROM:

NIH Privacy Act Officer

SUBJECT: Applicability of the Privacy Act: “Family Life, Activity, Sun, Health, and Eating (FLASHE)
Survey”
I have reviewed the NCI submission to OMB for the Family Life, Activity, Sun, Health, and Eating
(FLASHE) Survey. The information collected will be used to develop and improve the questionnaire
which seeks to examine the science of cancer and obesity prevention by examining psychosocial,
generational (parent-child), and environmental correlates of cancer preventive behaviors (i.e., lifestyle
behaviors, physical activity, diet and nutrition habits).
All of the interviews in support of development of the FLASHE survey will be conducted under contract
by Westat, a research company. Cognitive testing will consist of individual one-hour interviews with 20
parent-teenager (ages 11-18) pairs. Westat will perform the main activities associated with cognitive
testing, including recruiting respondents, developing an interview guide, conducting the interviews,
analyzing the data and providing recommendations for revising the survey instruments.
I have determined the Privacy Act will apply to this information collection. All personally identifiable
information (i.e., gender, age, race, ethnic background, highest level of education, behavioral information)
obtained during the study will be kept private and stored on a secure network drive that only project staff
can access. The Westat researchers will audio record the discussions, take notes and destroy the audio
recordings as soon as they complete the questionnaire development process. The answers provided will
not be shared with anyone outside of the FLASHE project research team.
Although de-identified data will be received by NCI and the report summarizing the findings will not
contain any names or identifying information, Westat will collect basic contact information in order to
merge and send letters to the survey respondents to remind them of their appointments. Additionally,
NCI, as the contracting agency, can audit the records at any time.
The data collection is covered by NIH Privacy Act Systems of Record 09-25-0200, “Clinical, Basic and
Population-based Research Studies of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), HHS/NIH/OD.”
If you have any questions, please contact my office at (301) 402-6201.

Karen M. Plá
cc: Vivian Horovitch-Kelley, NCI PRA Liaison