 Youth
Risk Behavior Surveys
Since 1988, Macro has assisted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with the surveys that furnish
data for the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance (YRBS) System. This school-based
biennial survey monitors health risk behaviors among youth in the
United States, from a national sample of 12,000 to 16,000 students.
Our services have included designing the samples, identifying and
recruiting participating schools, recruiting and training field
teams to administer the questionnaires, collecting and processing
the data, and organizing and presenting the results.
On behalf of the CDC, we
have surveyed 9th to 12th graders in public and private schools
in the 50 States and the District of Columbia every 2 years. The
2001 survey had more than 13,000 respondents. We handle all facets
of the survey including sampling; district, school, and field staff
recruitment; field staff training and supervision; data collection
and processing; and analysis of survey results and trends.
In 1998, we extended the reach of the YRBS by taking the survey
into alternative and continuation high schools. Macro attained
a high rate of participation despite the severe social, behavioral,
and learning problems these students often exhibit. In addition
to the national survey, we have conducted YRBS for several State
and local education and health agencies.
 Survey
of Financial Attitudes and Practices Among Residents of Low- and
Moderate-Income Neighborhoods
A bank-holding company specializing in community development asked
Macro to conduct a survey of financial attitudes and practices
among minority and low- and moderate-income populations in Chicago,
Los Angeles, and Washington, DC. Our work included developing the
sampling frame, formatting the questionnaire, and translating it into
Spanish. Before conducting the survey, we programmed and tested the
questionnaire in computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) and
computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) formats. We recruited
and trained interviewers who completed 1,000 telephone interviews and
500 face-to-face interviews. Finally, Macro delivered an electronic
data file, the survey data in tabulated form, and a technical report
detailing the sampling, fielding, and data-processing procedures.
 Broadcasting
Board of Governors (BBG) and International Audience Research Program
(IARP)
Macro performs audience research to support all non-military
U.S. Government broadcasting overseas, including Radio Marti, Voice
of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and Radio Free Asia.
This work requires scientifically rigorous polling in target countries.
We research audiences in 16 broadcast languages and hundreds of
local languages. We usually design surveys, which range from 500
to 4,000 interviews per country, to represent general adult populations.
However, depending on local conditions and a broadcaster’s
particular needs, we may focus on elites or travelers. Often the
samples are rural, offering unique data about lifestyles among populations
that are rarely polled. Macro supplements the surveys with qualitative
research. Additional work may include in-country focus groups and
in-depth interviews regarding views and consumption of local and
international media.
National Marine Recreational Fisheries Service Intercept Survey
The Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Survey (MRFSS) encompasses several surveys, including the Intercept Survey and the Coastal Household Telephone Survey. These surveys assess the impact of marine recreational fishing on marine resources. The Intercept Survey is an in-person survey of anglers that collects angler trip information as well as biological catch data. Macro has conducted the Intercept Survey since 1999, completing approximately 70,000 interviews per year with marine recreational anglers along the Atlantic Coast from Maine to Georgia, and in Puerto Rico.
Macro has successfully met the challenging logistical, time, volume, and data quality requirements of this survey. Key ingredients of our success include rigorous training and quality assurance procedures.
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