Designing Effective Youth Substance Use Surveys: A Case Study from Charlotte, NC
Youth substance use is a complex and evolving issue that presents significant challenges for communities across the United States. In Charlotte, NC, the Center for Prevention Services (CPS) has been at the forefront of addressing this issue through data-driven approaches.
One of their most powerful tools has been the Youth Drug Survey (YDS), a survey tool for understanding substance use patterns among youth and shaping prevention strategies. This blog post shares CPS’s experience in designing and refining the YDS offers valuable lessons for creating effective youth substance use surveys.
The Importance of Localized Data
Understanding youth substance use at the community level is essential for developing targeted interventions. While national data provides a broad overview, local data captures the unique cultural, demographic, and social dynamics that influence behavior in a specific area.
In Charlotte, CPS recognized the need for precise and localized data to inform their prevention efforts. While CPS had been operating the YDS since 1972 - making it one of the oldest longitudinal surveys of youth substance use - there was a need to adapt the existing survey to account for evolving changes in substance use patterns and emerging cultural and contextual factors that are correlated with youth substance use.
Steps to Designing (and Adapting) an Effective Survey
1. Identifying Key Indicators
The first step in adapting the YDS was to identify the key indicators that would provide meaningful insights into youth substance use. CPS, in collaboration with Common Good Data, utilized the SAMHSA Strategic Prevention Framework to develop logic models to identify factors such as cultural norms, access, peer influence, and parental approval as intervening variables correlated with youth substance use behaviors.
2. Crafting Culturally Responsive Questions
Charlotte's diverse population necessitated a survey that could accurately capture the experiences of different cultural and ethnic groups.
The YDS was revised to include more detailed race and ethnicity data, allowing for within-group analyses of Latino, Asian, and other under-researched groups.
The logic models approach also identified local cultural and contextual factors unique to the Charlotte context. For example, CPS staff and Alianza Coalition members noted that local sports and cultural events, including Latino festivals, quinceañeras, and sports games were also locations where youth reported accessing alcohol.
Image: Fabbiana Gutierrez moderating a panel at a presentation of Latino substance use data hosted by the Alianza coalition.
Adapting the survey to ask use about these events would allow CPS to gather real-time local data that was customized and culturally responsive to fit local needs.
3. Transitioning to Online Surveys
To increase participation and streamline data collection, the YDS was launched online for the first time. This transition was particularly important in reaching a larger sample of students across a wide range of schools.
The online format also allowed for easier customization of the survey, enabling CPS to tailor questions to specific sub-groups and gather more nuanced data.
4. Ensuring Ethical Standards and Data Integrity
Conducting surveys with minors requires strict adherence to ethical standards. CPS and Common Good Data designed research protocols that received approval from an external Institutional Review Board (IRB) and the school district’s research office.
These protocols included measures to protect the privacy and confidentiality of respondents, ensuring that the data collected was both reliable and ethically sound.
Overcoming Challenges in Data Collection
Designing and implementing a large-scale survey across a metropolitan area is not without its challenges. In Charlotte, one of the significant hurdles was ensuring a high response rate across different schools and grade levels.
The team addressed this by working closely with school administrators, teachers, and community leaders to promote the survey and emphasize its importance.
Additionally, the online format provided greater flexibility when scheduling student survey administrations, which helped boost participation.
Key Insights and Impact
The data collected from the YDS in 2018 and 2020 illuminated several critical insights into youth substance use in Charlotte. For instance, the surveys revealed that alcohol was the most commonly used substance among youth, with distinct patterns of use based on gender and race.
The data also highlighted the growing concern of e-cigarette use, particularly among White high school students.
Graph: 30-day substance use trends in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, from 2002-2020, as reported in the 2020 YDS.
By understanding the specific risks and behaviors within their community, CPS and its partners were able to design more targeted interventions, such as culturally tailored education programs and peer-led initiatives aimed at reducing substance use among high-risk groups.
Conclusion
The success of the YDS in Charlotte demonstrates the power of well-designed surveys in addressing complex public health issues like youth substance use.
As CPS and Common Good Data continue their work, the insights gained from these surveys will continue to refine prevention strategies and improve outcomes for youth in the Charlotte area.
For communities looking to develop their own youth substance use surveys, Charlotte’s experience offers valuable lessons in the importance of localized data, the need for cultural sensitivity, and the benefits of leveraging technology to reach a broader audience.
By following these principles, other communities can design effective surveys that provide the data needed to drive meaningful change.
