Attachment 3: Invitation Scripts Text, Email, and Mail Contacts
Condition 1: SMS/Text Message Contact Messages
SMS (Short Message Service), known more commonly as text messaging, will be used for inviting out-of-state respondents (who have completed the core) who are assigned to this condition and agreed to SMS contact.
Messages will be limited to 160 characters, which is the general limit for individual messages sent by SMS. While many modern phones support breaking up longer messages (up to 1,600 characters) we will adhere to the 160 character limit to ensure compatibility with respondent devices.
Selected respondents will receive up to three message contacts: initial invitation and two nonresponse follow-up messages.
Initial invitation: 123 characters, plus up to 21 characters for web URL to be determined (16 characters unused).
Thank you for participating in the BRFSS survey. Complete the remaining questions to help your state at the following link <web URL>.
1st nonresponse follow-up: 139 characters, plus up to 21 characters for web URL to be determined.
You agreed to answer some questions for your state online for the BRFSS survey. Your response has not been received. Complete at this link <web URL>.
2nd (final) nonresponse follow-up: Two messages will be sent in the order below.
Message 1: 136 characters, plus up to 21 characters for web URL to be determined (4 characters unused).
Your responses for the online part of the BRFSS survey you did with a phone representative have not been received. Complete at this link <web URL>.
Message 2: 158 characters (2 characters unused).
This is the last chance to help your state. You can select the link and complete with your mobile device, or type the web address above into your web browser.
Timing of SMS Message Contacts
SMS messages are delivered immediately, therefore only short intervals of time are needed between contacts to allow for response before nonresponse follow-up contacts. The initial contact will match the same general time as the core telephone completion (using groupings of day, evening, or weekend). If the core was completed in the evening, the initial text will be sent in the evening. Follow-up contacts will be initiated five days following the prior contact.
Initial contact → (+ 5 days) 1st nonresponse follow-up → (+ 5 days) 2nd nonresponse follow-up
Condition 2: Email Contact Messages
Email will be used for inviting out-of-state respondents (who have completed the core) who are assigned to this condition and agreed to email contact.
Selected respondents will receive up to three email contacts: initial invitation and two nonresponse follow-up messages.
It is the case that certain words (for example, “survey,” “incentive,” “reward”) may trigger spam filters and will be avoided in the subject line of the email.
Initial Invitation:
Subject line: BRFSS web questions for your state – follow-up to your telephone participation.
Thank you for participating in the BRFSS telephone survey. For this last step, we need you to answer some questions that will help <RESPONDENT STATE> learn more about public health problems affecting <RESPONDENT STATE>.
Use the link below to complete your survey online.
<web URL>
The BRFSS survey is administered under the direction of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The questions you are asked to complete on the web were selected by <RESPONDENT STATE>. The information you provide will be used to identify public health problems, influence health policies and interventions, and evaluate the effectiveness of these policies and interventions.
Thank you in advance for completing this last important step.
If you have questions about this survey, or encounter technical problems, please contact Westat, the company contracted to conduct this survey, at <NUMBER>.
1st nonresponse follow-up:
Subject line: BRFSS web participation reminder for your state – follow-up to your telephone participation.
We recently contacted you about completing the last step of the BRFSS survey. We have not yet received your response to questions important to health policy makers in <RESPONDENT STATE>.
This last step asks you to answer some questions online. Use the link below to complete your survey online.
<web URL>
The BRFSS survey is administered under the direction of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The questions you are asked to complete on the web were selected by <RESPONDENT STATE>. The information you provide is confidential and will be used to identify public health problems, influence health policies and interventions, and evaluate the effectiveness of these policies and interventions.
Thank you in advance for completing this last important step.
If you have questions about this survey, or encounter technical problems, please contact Westat, the company contracted to conduct this survey, at <NUMBER>.
2nd (final) nonresponse follow-up:
Subject line: BRFSS web participation. Last reminder for your state – follow-up to your telephone participation.
We sent you two previous invitations to complete questions online for <RESPONDENT STATE> to identify health behaviors and conditions.
Your response has not been received and this is the last reminder for you to complete the survey online. Use the link below to complete your survey online.
<web URL>
If the link above is not working, type <web URL> into your browser and use the following unique access code to start your survey <RESPONDENT CODE>.
The BRFSS survey is administered under the direction of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The questions you are asked to complete on the web were selected by <RESPONDENT STATE>. The information you provide is confidential and will be used to identify public health problems, influence health policies and interventions, and evaluate the effectiveness of these policies and interventions.
Thank you in advance for completing this last important step.
If you have questions about this survey, or encounter technical problems, please contact Westat, the company contracted to conduct this survey, at <NUMBER>.
Timing of Email Contacts
As with SMS messages, email is delivered immediately, therefore only short intervals of time are needed between contacts to allow for response before nonresponse follow-up contacts. The initial contact will match the same general time as the core telephone completion (using groupings of day, evening, or weekend). If the core was completed in the evening, the initial Email will be sent in the evening. Follow-up contacts will be initiated five days following the prior contact.
Initial contact → (+ 5 days) 1st nonresponse follow-up → (+ 5 days) 2nd nonresponse follow-up
Condition 3: Postal Mail Contact Invitations
USPS postal mail will be used for inviting out-of-state respondents (who have completed the core) who are assigned to this condition.
Selected respondents will receive up to three postal mail contacts via USPS: initial invitation and two nonresponse follow-up mailings. The mail will be addressed to the respondent completing the core to avoid other household members completing the web modules.
Initial invitation:
Thank you for participating in the BRFSS telephone survey. The information you provided will help the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identify health-related risk behaviors, chronic health conditions, and use of preventive services.
To help <RESPONDENT STATE> learn more about public health problems that affect <RESPONDENT STATE> we need you to answer some questions online.
Use the web address and access code provided below to complete your survey online.
<web URL>
<RESPONDENT PIN>
This is the last step and the questions can only be completed online.
These questions were selected by your state to learn more about public health problems affecting <RESPONDENT STATE>.
The BRFSS survey is administered under the direction of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Just like the questions you answered on the telephone, participation is voluntary and your information will be kept confidential. The information you provide will be used to identify public health problems, influence health policies and interventions, and evaluate the effectiveness of these policies and interventions.
If you have questions about this survey, or encounter technical problems, please contact Westat, the company contracted to conduct this survey, at <NUMBER>.
Thank you in advance for completing this last important step.
1st nonresponse follow-up:
Recently you participated in the BRFSS telephone survey. The last step of your participation is to complete some questions online to help your state. We have not yet received your response to the online questionnaire.
The information you provided on the phone will help the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identify health-related risk behaviors, chronic health conditions, and use of preventive services.
To help <RESPONDENT STATE> learn more about public health problems that affect <RESPONDENT STATE> we need you to answer some questions online.
Use the web address and access code provided below to complete your survey online.
<web URL>
<RESPONDENT PIN>
This is the last step and the questions can only be completed online.
These questions were selected by your state to learn more about public health problems affecting <RESPONDENT STATE>.
The BRFSS survey is administered under the direction of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Just like the questions you answered on the telephone, participation is voluntary and your information will be kept confidential. The information you provide will be used to identify public health problems, influence health policies and interventions, and evaluate the effectiveness of these policies and interventions.
If you have questions about this survey, or encounter technical problems, please contact Westat, the company contracted to conduct this survey, at <NUMBER>.
Thank you in advance for completing this last important step.
2nd (final) nonresponse follow-up:
We recently sent you two invitations in the mail to complete questions for the BRFSS survey online that are important to your state. We have not yet received your response to the online questionnaire and this is your last opportunity to help your state.
This is the last step of your participation and the questions can only be completed online.
These questions were selected by your state to learn more about public health problems affecting <RESPONDENT STATE>.
Use the web address and access code provided below to complete your survey online.
<web URL>
<RESPONDENT PIN>
The information you provided on the phone will help the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identify health-related risk behaviors, chronic health conditions, and use of preventive services.
This is an opportunity to help your state learn about health factors that may be unique to your state.
The BRFSS survey is administered under the direction of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Just like the questions you answered on the telephone, participation is voluntary and your information will be kept confidential. The information you provide will be used to identify public health problems, influence health policies and interventions, and evaluate the effectiveness of these policies and interventions.
If you have questions about this survey, or encounter technical problems, please contact Westat, the company contracted to conduct this survey, at <NUMBER>.
Thank you in advance for completing this last important step.
Timing of Postal Mail Contacts
Postal mail requires additional time for delivery and respondent action, therefore a minimum amount of time is required for receipt and respondent action before sending nonresponse follow-up contacts (compared to electronic methods of SMS or Email). Since respondents are asked to respond electronically via the web, the timing between contacts will be moderated. The initial contact cannot be matched to the same general time as the core telephone completion since delivery is by mail. The time between follow-up contacts will be 10 days. This will allow time for receipt of the survey invitation and vary the delivery day.
Initial contact → (+ 10 days) 1st nonresponse follow-up → (+ 10 days) 2nd nonresponse follow-up
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 0000-00-00 |