The purpose of this research is to develop tailored written materials and test whether they enhance small business owner's beliefs about outcomes that result from efforts to improve workplace health and safety. Enhanced beliefs will, in turn, raise their attitudes and intentions toward trying to make improvements. Written materials will be designed to emphasize those belief outcomes most highly associated with high-intentioned owners, using written formats and styles shown to be most attractive to small business owners. This research is responsive to the need for more and better information on the effectiveness of interventions identified by NIOSH's National Occupational Research Agenda. The research will take place in two phases over two years. In the first phase, a wide variety of written materials in various formats (newsletters, magazines, newspapers, brochures, etc.) and styles (case studies, personal stories from owners and workers, cartoons, etc.) will be developed and tested using a series of focus groups with small business owners. Results will be used to determine which styles and formats are ranked most highly by owners in attractiveness, readability, and effectiveness in delivering specific health and safety messages. Six to twelve separate written pieces will be developed, incorporating the focus group results. In the second phase, the effectiveness of written materials will be tested in a randomized, controlled trial with 120 owners of small businesses. Owners in control and intervention groups (60 owners in each group) will complete a baseline survey of intentions, attitudes and outcome beliefs toward improving health and safety. Owners in the control group will receive monthly or bi-monthly mailings of a trade newsletter or journal. Owners in the intervention group will receive the same materials along with tailored written materials aimed at specific health and safety outcome beliefs. At the end of the year, owners in both groups will be asked to complete a follow up survey measuring their intentions, attitudes and outcome beliefs. Owners in the intervention group will also be asked for their opinions on the specific materials received. It is expected that the difference in mean pre- and post-study outcome beliefs (and perhaps intentions and attitudes) will be greater in the intervention than the control group.
