The recent settlement of tobacco-related litigation with state governments has reinforced the need for valid and reliable tobacco prevalence and incidence data. The Tennessee Youth Tobacco Survey (TnYTS) provides baseline data on tobacco utilization trends, environmental tobacco smoke exposure, prevention and cessation issues and social and cultural influences on tobacco use in relation to adolescents. Data is utilized to design effective evaluation strategies to be used in local and regional tobacco use intervention and cessation projects. The evaluation designs incorporate the same indicators as the TnYTS baseline data to track program success and monitor secular changes in tobacco use among adolescent populations.
Several other databases of tobacco related information exist within Tennessee and other states. Such databases include the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, state tobacco sales records, restaurant surveys, workplace surveys, as well as other tobacco related programs such as Operation Storefront and SYNAR checks.
With multiple agencies collecting data, there is a tremendous need for coordination and integration. Such integration works to alleviate participation resistance (i.e. school participation), reduce duplication of effort, improve sampling methodology and enhance questionnaire construction. This report will describe the process of coordinating and integrating several multi-agency statewide databases to monitor secular change and to provide an empirical basis to evaluate state and regionally implemented tobacco use intervention projects.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to: 1. List four strategies for coordinating and integrating statewide data collection. 2. Recognize areas for improvement in data collection and integration among multi-agency data collection systems. 3. Organize similar strategies for coordination and integration for the purposes of on-going statewide evaluation. 4. Apply methodology addressed within the presentation to work in data collection, integration and evaluation efforts
Keywords: Data/Surveillance, Evaluation
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.