SBH Launches Community Wellness Survey Funded by Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth
BRUNSWICK, MECKLENBURG, & HALIFAX, VIRGINIA – Between September and November 2021, Southside Behavioral Health will execute a large-scale public opinion survey targeted toward youth populations in Halifax, Mecklenburg, and Brunswick counties. In each county, a random sample of youth will be recruited via social media marketing to participate in the survey, which will measure youth opinions on tobacco use.
The survey (funded by Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth) is based on the 2020 National Youth Tobacco Survey by the CDC and was organized by Southside Behavioral Health. The first round of analysis of the survey will be complete in January 2022 and results will be shared to Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth as well as made available online at southside.org. This survey is being conducted with awarded grant funds from Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth as part of a three-year initiative to increase youth nicotine prevention and awareness in the Southside area.
“We want to better understand youth opinions on tobacco use and what they feel is important,” said Prevention Manager Kenan Tyner-Smith. “Creating healthier communities for tomorrow begins with our youth today.”
The survey will run every Fall for three years in an effort to measure changing opinions and behavior regarding tobacco use among the youth populations in Brunswick, Mecklenburg, and Halifax counties. Survey results will be completely confidential and no personally identifying information will be collected. Data will strictly be used for research purposes in order to better inform and initiate youth prevention efforts and programs specifically for the aforementioned communities.
If you are under the age of 18 and would like to participate in this survey, please go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/kickthenic. As a “thank you” for time spent, participants will have the option to email for a chance to win an electronic gift card at the end of the survey. For more information on this and other youth nicotine prevention initiatives, please contact Kenan Tyner-Smith at ksmith@southsidebh.org or 434-572-6916 Ext.1550.
About Southside Behavioral Health:
Established in 1972, Southside Behavioral Health provides behavioral health, developmental disability, substance use, and prevention services to the residents of Southside Virginia in Halifax, Mecklenburg, and Brunswick Counties. Southside Behavioral Health is committed to providing individualized culturally competent care in our communities, by supporting wellness and quality of life in a recovery-oriented environment and professional manner. Learn more at: southsidebh.org.
About the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth:
Established by the Virginia General Assembly in 1999, the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth is responsible for statewide efforts to prevent and reduce youth tobacco use, childhood obesity and substance use. Since the Foundation began its work in 2001, youth smoking in Virginia has been cut more than 75 percent! The Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth directly reaches about 50,000 children each year through classroom-based prevention programs in public schools, after-school programs, community centers, daycares and other youth centers across the state. For more information about the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth, please visit our website at http://www.vfhy.org/.
