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Healthy Kids Colorado Survey Overview

Reseña general de la Encuesta sobre salud infantil de Colorado

The Healthy Kids Colorado Survey (HKCS) is the state’s most comprehensive survey on the health and well-being of young people. The purpose of this survey is to better understand youth health and the factors that help young people make healthy choices.

The HKCS is widely used by schools, districts, and communities in their efforts to grow the healthiest youth in the country. The results of the survey can help:

  • Inform the creation of programming to support student success.
  • Provide direction for schools and communities to address health issues.
  • Share relevant topics with parents to help them talk to their children about their health and well-being.
  • Secure youth health program funding for schools, community organizations, and local and state government agencies.

2023 participation

 
120,239 Students

 
344 Schools

 
70 Districts

 
46 Counties

Background

The state has been surveying young people about their health since 1991. In 2013, the state combined various surveys to streamline efforts and enhance data collection. This unified survey effort reduces the burden on schools and allows us to better meet the data needs of schools, local communities, and government agencies.

The HKCS is designed and implemented through a collaboration of:

  • the Colorado Departments of Public Health and Environment, Education, Human Services, and Public Safety, and the Attorney General’s Office
  • the Colorado School of Public Health (CSPH)  School and Youth Survey Team at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
  • a community network of subject matter experts

How often is the survey administered?

The HKCS is administered in the fall of odd-numbered years. All participating schools receive reports summarizing their survey results within 4 weeks of administration. The CSPH School and Youth Survey Team aids schools and districts with accessing and interpreting their local results. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) publishes aggregated statewide and regional survey results in the summer of even-numbered years. 

Confidentiality

Participation in the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey is completely voluntary. The survey has multiple levels of consent, including those from districts, schools, parents, and youth, before it is administered. The HKCS has a rigorous policy to protect the confidentiality and anonymity of young people taking the survey. No names are collected, data is stored securely, and results are aggregated in reports.

Research shows that young people respond just as credibly as adults on anonymous and confidential health surveys. Asking a young person questions on a survey does not influence their health behavior. We have seen risky health behaviors steadily decline nationwide since youth survey activities were amplified more than 30 years ago.

Methodology

Professional researchers randomly select schools to include in the state sample to represent students in grades 6-12. In 2023, the state sample included 60,078 students at 105 high schools and middle schools. View key takeaways from the 2023 results in English and Spanish.

Researchers weight results to represent student enrollment in all Colorado public middle and high schools. The weights account for sampling design, school, and student nonparticipation and nonresponse, and differences in grade, gender, and race and ethnicity between the sample and the population. Schools not selected for the state sample can opt-in to participate. In 2023, 239 schools opted in to participate. 

Frequently Asked Questions
 

The HKCS is the state's most comprehensive survey on the health and well-being of young people. This voluntary, anonymous, online survey asks middle and high school students about health-related attitudes and behaviors. The survey is administered every two years. In 2023, over 120,000 students participated from more than 340 middle and high schools. Broad participation from students across Colorado is valuable in order to gather representative statewide youthhealth data. HKCS data helps identify student needs and informs state funding decisions that support programs at the local level. Results are used to apply for funding that supports youth, bringing millions of dollars into Colorado communities.
 

Yes, participation is confidential and anonymous. Students do not put their name or any other identifying information on the survey. Teachers are instructed to follow protocols to protect confidentiality while the survey is being completed. No individual student data or identifiable information is included in the results, only summaries of combined data.
 

The HKCS includes health-related topics such as physical activity and nutrition; mental health; school safety and bullying; tobacco and other substance use; and risk and protective factors. Some versions of the HKCS survey also ask students questions about sexual behavior. The high school survey and some versions of the middle school survey include demographic questions about sexual orientation and gender identity. Decisions on optional sections are made at the district level. To view a complete copy of your local survey, please contact your school office.
 

The results from the HKCS are used to:

  • Increase public awareness about health issues that impact youth.
  • Provide local, regional, and state youth health behavior data and track trends over time.
  • Support healthier learning environments by informing school health policy and programs.
  • Help community leaders to shape effective public policy.
  • Write grant applications that bring funding into local communities.
     

  • Each school receives a report with its own results. No individual student data or identifiable information is included, only summaries of combined data.
  • Schools use results in needs assessments, grant applications, and program planning to support youth health and wellbeing.
     

The HKCS takes a single class period to complete. In 2023, the average completion time was 25-30 minutes. The survey uses skip logic, which shortens the length of the survey: if students indicate that they do not engage in the given behavior, they are not shown follow-up questions. For example, if a student reports they’ve never smoked a cigarette, the survey skips future questions, such as where they got their last pack of cigarettes.
 

There is no evidence to suggest that health surveys influence youth behavior or experimentation with unhealthy behaviors. Use of youth health surveys has increased across the country since the early 1990s. At the same time, national data shows that many unhealthy youth behaviors, such as substance use, continue to decline.
 

Years of survey research indicate that young people, much like adults, respond honestly to anonymous surveys. In focus groups conducted in 2021 by the University of Colorado, youth participants reported that they would answer HKCS questions honestly. The overwhelming majority believed their peers would also answer honestly. Anonymous youth surveys like the HKCS give youth the opportunity to directly report on their experiences, affirming that youth are the experts on their lives.
 

Yes, Colorado law requires informed parent/guardian consent for youth surveys in schools. The requirement is met when parents/guardians are informed that their student has been asked to participate in a survey and given the ability to opt their student out of participating. The school sends a permission form and a copy of the survey to parents/guardians for review. In most districts, parents/guardians are asked to return the form only if they want to opt their student out of participating. Districts vary in their policies about survey consent: please contact your district directly for information about local policies.
 

Regional and statewide results are released at the beginning of the following summer and are available online at www.healthykidscolo.org. Please contact your school to request local results.
 

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