Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey

INFORMATIONAL LETTER: 10
POLICY CODE: JLC

TO: Superintendents of Schools and school principals
FROM: Susan A. Gendron, Commissioner
DATE: August 6, 2008
RE: Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey

The Maine Department of Education, in collaboration with the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, is pleased to announce the creation of a biennial survey that combines the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), Maine Youth Drug and Alcohol Survey (MYDAUS), Youth Tobacco Survey (YTS), and Child Health Survey (CHS). We are delighted to report that Pan Atlantic SMS Group will be the contractor for the 2009 Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey (MIYHS). Pan Atlantic has a long track record with school surveys and has administered the YRBS for the past 20 years, the MYDAUS for the past 10 years, and the YTS for the past 6 years. In addition, they have a proven ability to ensure school confidentiality and protect student anonymity.

Responding to your request for fewer and shorter student surveys, this survey will replace ALL previous surveys and be delivered in odd years beginning in 2009.

The goal of this survey is to better understand risk behaviors specific to Maine youth. A continued longitudinal study can estimate whether the prevalence of the various risk behaviors is increasing, decreasing, or remains the same. These behaviors affect the success of Maine youth in attaining the Maine Learning Results.

As in the past, all surveys are anonymous.

Highlights:

Grades K, 3, 5, 6 and 7-12 surveyed
Shorter surveys for all grades with maximum of 110 questions for grades 9-12, and 80 questions for grades 7-8, and 60 questions for grades 5-6
Translated versions of the parent letter available

Benefits:

Local, public health district, and State data will be available to monitor how priority health risk behaviors among students increase, decrease or remain the same over time
Data will be available to evaluate the impact of broad national, State, and local efforts to prevent risk behaviors as well as improve school health education policies and programs
A wider range of local data on youth behaviors, risk factors and assets will be available to school districts

For more information please contact Jean Zimmerman at 207-624-6687 or jean.zimmerman@maine.gov