Interview Method

LTG Associates, Inc.

Methods: Formative Work
Materials Testing – Interviews
Introduction
In the final phase of the formative research for the OWH PPD campaign development, LTG will conduct
up to 30 individual interviews. These interviews will be conducted with women who participated in the
CLIN 3 focus groups (FG) that explored responses to campaign materials by women matching the
segments of interest for the campaign; women participating in the focus groups have been informed that
they may be contacted for a future interview.
Through the engagement of the focus group moderators, women will be identified who either reacted
with discomfort or did not engage with the media and messages of the segment group. After focus groups
are completed, the identified women will be grouped by segment and by reason for the variance. Video
for each identified woman will be reviewed by LTG to determine interview interest and suitability and a
subset will be chosen for interviews.

Participant Selection
Participant selection will be a two step-process that begins during the segment-specific focus groups (FG)
(previously reviewed by OMB). In the first step, FG moderators will identify women who fall into one or
both categories as they conduct the focus groups. The categories are: 1) Discomforted – participants who
have a negative reaction to the messages and/or images in the test materials, and 2) Unmoved –
participants who do not find the messages compelling and/or would not act on the messages. Participants
for interviews will be chosen from these two groups.
Moderator identification of participants’ responses in these categories will be conducted as FGs are
conducted. Moderators will record the time at which a participant expressed sentiments indicative of
these categories. All time stamps, names, and summary information will be recorded in a standardized
table to be processed in the second step.
In the second step, LTG staff who did not conduct FGs will review the data tables by segment. Time stamps
will be used to locate and review the quotes flagged by moderators. The reviewers will provide their
assessment of whether they meet the criteria, and if there is consensus between the moderator and
reviewer. In cases of consensus, these participants will be advance into a pool from which they may be
selected for interviews.
LTG will collaborate with the firm that conducted recruitment for the focus groups to approach potential
interviewees. Potential interviewees will be informed about the purpose, process, time commitment, and
incentive for the interview. For those who are interested in the interview, informed consent will be
obtained, and interviews scheduled.

Interviews
All interviews will be conducted on Zoom and recorded for accuracy of analysis. Upon consent, the
interview will be conducted with sensitivity, as experiences with postpartum depression are complex.
Interviewees will be reminded that they may pause or stop at any time without loss of their incentive
payment.

Each interview, post-consenting, will be less than 60 minutes and conducted by a trained social scientist.
The interviewer will use a semi-structured interview guide to ensure consistency in domains assessed for
each of the categories. As the purpose of the interviews is to gather further depth into participants’
reactions, interviewers will be provided with a summary of participant concerns/reactions/suggestions
from the FG to facilitate the creation of tailored probes. In this way we will not duplicate the information
gathered from the FG and maximize the interview time. Stimulus materials used in the focus groups will
be shared and discussed with the participant as they correspond to issues of concern or disinterest. A
second social scientist will work with the interviewer to show materials and messages.
With the interview guide and participant summary notes in hand, the LTG staff member will conduct the
interview. Staff will obtain consent to record the interview to allow for transcription and cross checking
of notes. Participants will be thanked for their time, and all will be provided with contact information for
PPD/mental health resources. Incentives will be distributed by the recruitment firm after the interview.

Data Management
The interview recording will be downloaded and saved on a password protected computer. Each interview
will be transcribed for coding with names eliminated during the transcription.

Analysis
Verbatim transcription of the interviews will be provided to trained qualitative coders. Coders will identify
and aggregate key information such as rationale for reactions, concerns, strength, and recommendations
for the materials. They will also code for category and segment to facilitate within and across group
comparisons. Once the data has been coded, the LTG team will provide recommendations for RSE to
improve the materials.