How Effective are Local Public Health Programs?
Written by Communications, May 17, 2018
Local Residents Will Be Randomly Called As Part Of Provincial Phone Survey That Now Includes Peterborough Area
County and City residents will have an opportunity to voluntarily take part in a province-wide phone survey that, over time, will shed valuable light on the effectiveness of local public health programs.
Peterborough Public Health encourages local residents to participate in the Rapid Risk Factor Surveillance System (RRFSS). Staff from York University’s Institute for Social Research will randomly call 100 people every month for the next 12 months, starting this month. Information gathered from the phone surveys will be used to influence decisions about local programing and may also have the added effect of raising community awareness about important public health issues.
“This represents the first time Peterborough has ever been included in RRFSS. Historically, most Ontario public health agencies have used this efficient and valued system to help plan programs and services,” explained Jane Hoffmeyer, Manager of Foundational Standards at Peterborough Public Health. “We need to learn more about the beliefs and behaviours of local residents so that we can set priorities that are relevant to our communities.”
Ms. Hoffmeyer noted that the first round of questions will cover public health topics such as sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, tobacco use, cannabis health effects, general mental health and parenting. The survey is completely voluntary and all responses remain anonymous and confidential. Respondents can refuse to answer any questions if they are not comfortable.
Further information about the phone survey is available at www.rrfss.ca.
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For further information, please contact:
Brittany Cadence
Communications Manager
705-743-1000, ext. 39