Assessing poisoning risks related to storage of household hazardous materials: using a focus group to improve a survey questionnaire.
BACKGROUND
In fall of 2004, the authors began an investigation to characterize the correlations between the storage of Household Hazardous Materials and the associated health risks, particularly to children. The study area selected was Genesee County, Michigan, near Flint, with data to be collected by a phone survey of residents and through the acquisition of county hospital records containing procedure codes indicating treatment for poison emergencies, and review of poison control center data.


METHODS
A focus group was used to identify key topics and relationships within these data for improving the phone survey questionnaire and its analysis.


RESULTS
The focus group was successful in identifying the key issues with respect to all the data collection objectives, resulting in a significantly shorter and more topically focused survey questionnaire. Execution time of the phone survey decreased from 30 to 12 minutes, and useful relationships between the data were revealed, e.g., the linkage between reading food labels and reading labels on containers containing potentially harmful substances.


CONCLUSIONS
Focus groups and their preparatory planning can help reveal data interrelationships before larger surveys are undertaken. Even where time and budget constraints prevent the ability to conduct a series of focus groups, one successful focus group session can improve survey performance and reduce costs.
Kaufman
Martin M
MM
Department of Earth and Resource Science, University of Michigan-Flint, 516 Murchie, Flint, Michigan 48502-1950, USA. martyk@umflint.edu
Smolinske
Susan
S
Keswick
David
D
D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D003625:Data Collection; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D017144:Focus Groups; D015386:Hazardous Substances / Q000145:classification / Q000506:poisoning* / Q000600:supply & distribution; D019538:Health Care Surveys / Q000379:methods*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006795:Household Products / Q000145:classification / Q000506:poisoning* / Q000600:supply & distribution; D006801:Humans; D008824:Michigan; D011039:Poison Control Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011356:Product Labeling / Q000592:standards*; D012037:Refuse Disposal / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D013689:Telephone; D009626:Terminology as Topic; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*
D015386:Hazardous Substances