2.1.2. Focus groups

We conducted focus groups with parents/guardians to delve deeper into survey responses, probing public health mitigation, barriers and facilitators in the return to school, and potential health communication dissemination strategies. To ensure as wide a range of perspectives as possible, parents and guardians were purposively sampled for focus groups based on their responses to questions in the parent/guardian mail- and web-based survey (see above). Specifically, individuals were stratified by their response to a question on support for requiring face masks in schools to reduce COVID-19 risk. Focus groups were held virtually to promote access and participation. Between May and July 2022, 18 focus groups were conducted with 40 parents/guardians from all eight Maryland school districts. The median number of individuals in focus groups was four (range 1–8). In one case, a single participant was interviewed following the focus group guide because of scheduling challenges. Data from focus groups with parents/guardians were used to inform the specific communication objectives for the toolkit, toolkit components, tone of messages, and recommended communication channels, including key messengers.