A community health survey has been created for Mathews County, and residents are being asked to fill it out and turn it in to the health department.
Community assessment planner Neelam Patel and community health promotion manager Lisa Laurier of the Three Rivers Health District designed the survey. They said that there is lots of health data available on the county, but none of it is based on what the residents think the actual problems are.
That information is important for putting the data into context, said Patel, so she’s hoping residents will choose to complete the survey. She said that in order to for the survey to be statistically valid, 369 residents have to participate.
To encourage participation, Patel and Laurier plan to be on hand at various locations in Mathews on random days to assist anyone who needs help filling out the survey.
Locations include the Mathews Boys and Girls Club, Mathews Memorial Library, Mathews Family YMCA, and the health department. The survey will also be available at these locations for people to drop by and fill out themselves, and volunteers will be distributing the survey to churches, schools, and civic organizations.
What does the survey ask?
The 10-question anonymous survey is fairly simple and will be available in both English and Spanish. Five of the questions are demographic in nature, asking for the respondent’s zip code, gender, age, level of education, and race. The survey doesn’t ask for names and other identifying information.
Three of the questions ask that residents select from a list to offer their opinions on the following topics: What they think would improve the quality of life in Mathews, what their top three health concerns are, and what three health conditions or behaviors they believe have the greatest impact on children in the community.
The final two questions ask what residents are most proud of in Mathews and what services or programs they think could make a difference in the county.
For more information or a digital survey, contact Patel at neelam.patel@vdh.virginia.gov.