New Options for Child Health Surveillance by State Health Departments

Until recently there were no child health surveillance instruments available to state health departments for children 1-14 years old. In recent years, several states have developed new surveillance instruments. This article includes information about examples of four types of child health surveys: (1) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) follow-back survey [phone-based in Colorado]; (2) Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) re-interviews [PRAMS-based in Rhode Island]; (3) elementary school child health survey combined with dental screening and physical measurements of height and weight [school-based in Maine]; and (4) freestanding elementary school survey [school-based in Oregon]. The PRAMS-based survey was moderate in expense but addressed only issues related to 2 year olds. The phone-based survey was the most expensive but addressed issues of children 1-14 years old. The school-based surveys were moderate in expense, logistically complex, and were least likely to provide robust generalizable data.