Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

HTTPS

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

    • Environmental Topics
    • Air
    • Bed Bugs
    • Cancer
    • Chemicals, Toxics, and Pesticide
    • Emergency Response
    • Environmental Information by Location
    • Health
    • Land, Waste, and Cleanup
    • Lead
    • Mold
    • Radon
    • Research
    • Science Topics
    • Water Topics
    • A-Z Topic Index
    • Laws & Regulations
    • By Business Sector
    • By Topic
    • Compliance
    • Enforcement
    • Laws and Executive Orders
    • Regulations
    • Report a Violation
    • Environmental Violations
    • Fraud, Waste or Abuse
    • About EPA
    • Our Mission and What We Do
    • Headquarters Offices
    • Regional Offices
    • Labs and Research Centers
    • Planning, Budget, and Results
    • Organization Chart
    • EPA History

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Choose Fish and Shellfish Wisely

Information for Pretesting the Message

Related Information

Develop and Pretest Concepts, Messages, Materials, and Activities

On this page:
  • Keeping Pretest Costs Down
  • Sample Language: Benefits of Consuming Fish

Keeping Pretest Costs Down

  • Borrow questions from other pretests when possible.
  • Work with partner organizations to recruit participants and conduct tests (e.g., an African-American church, patient educators, a clinic).
  • Pay for and use transcripts when conducing focus groups so that FCA programs can review the results and make decisions rather than paying an analyst to do so.
  • When testing with a large number of respondents:
    • Keep the questions short and to the point.
    • Use as many close-ended or multiple choice questions as possible (for easier tabulation analysis).
    • Develop codes in advance for quantifying responses to open-ended questions.
    • Avoid overtesting (test to answer questions, not to gather the views of a large number of respondents).

Sample Language: Benefits of Consuming Fish

When properly prepared, fish provide a diet high in protein and low in saturated fats. Many doctors suggest that eating 8 ounces of fish each week is helpful in preventing heart disease. Almost any kind of fish may have real health benefits when it replaces a high-fat source of protein in the diet. You can get the health benefits of fish and reduce unwanted contaminants by following this advisory.


Sources:
  • Making Health Communication Programs Work.
  • Protocol for a Uniform Great Lakes Sport Fish Consumption Advisory (1993).

Choose Fish and Shellfish Wisely

  • Should I Be Concerned about Eating Fish and Shellfish?
  • EPA-FDA Advice about Eating Fish and Shellfish
  • Eat Fish and Shellfish in a Healthy Way
  • How Do I Know if a Fish I Caught is Contaminated?
  • What the EPA Does to Protect You From Contaminated Fish and Shellfish
  • Technical Resources and Studies
  • Building Fish and Shellfish Advisory Programs
    • Designing a Fish and Shellfish Contaminant Monitoring Program
      • Integrated Approach Monitoring Strategy
      • Multi-phase Approach Monitoring Strategy
      • Sampling Sites
      • Target Species and Size Classes
      • Target Contaminants
      • Sampling Times and Frequency
      • Fish Sample Types
      • Shellfish Sample Types
      • Quality Assurance and Quality Control
      • Sample Analysis
    • In the Field - Collecting and Handling Samples
      • Sample Collection
      • Sample Handling
    • In the Lab - Processing and Analyzing Samples
      • Receiving Samples
      • Processing Samples
      • Analytical Methods
      • Quality Assurance and Quality Control
      • Data Verification, Reporting and Validation
    • Analyzing Data and Calculating the Consumption Limits
    • Developing a Fish and/or Shellfish Advisory
Contact Us about Fish and Shellfish Consumption
Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on December 2, 2024
  • Assistance
  • Spanish
  • Arabic
  • Chinese (simplified)
  • Chinese (traditional)
  • French
  • Haitian Creole
  • Korean
  • Portuguese
  • Russian
  • Tagalog
  • Vietnamese
United States Environmental Protection Agency

Discover.

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Budget & Performance
  • Contracting
  • EPA www Web Snapshot
  • Grants
  • No FEAR Act Data
  • Plain Writing
  • Privacy
  • Privacy and Security Notice

Connect.

  • Data
  • Inspector General
  • Jobs
  • Newsroom
  • Regulations.gov
  • Subscribe
  • USA.gov
  • White House

Ask.

  • Contact EPA
  • EPA Disclaimers
  • Hotlines
  • FOIA Requests
  • Frequent Questions
  • Site Feedback

Follow.