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Healthy Passages is a longitudinal study designed to understand what parents, schools, and communities can do to keep children healthy. Thus, this study can help families, health care providers, schools, and communities make the best choices in developing and implementing programs and policies to make sure children are healthy.
Healthy Passages takes place in three cities:
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In each city, approximately 1,750 fifth-grade students will take part
in Healthy Passages, for a total of 5,250 children. The children in the
study will be equally representative of white, Hispanic, and
African-American children across the three cities. Each child and his or
her parent will be interviewed every year or two for up to 10 years. As schools and communities are very important in helping to raise healthy kids, Healthy Passages also looks at the school environment, finds out about school health policies, and gathers information about each child's neighborhood. |
National as well as international researchers are part of the Healthy
Passages investigator team. The study investigators at the three research
sites, Birmingham, Alabama; Los Angeles, California; and Houston, Texas
are all part of a major university in their city.
In addition, investigators represent the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, other federal departments and agencies, as well as other organizations.
The overall objective of Healthy Passages is to provide a research base on which to develop effective policies and programs to improve the health and development of children, adolescents, and adults. The two main goals of the study are to
In each city, a sample of public elementary schools was selected to participate in Healthy Passages. Within each school, all fifth grade classes were invited to be in Healthy Passages. Parents were notified that their child was eligible to be part of this study. Study investigators contacted parents who expressed interest.
Actual data collection occurs in the child's home or in a convenient location. The data collection includes an interview with the child; an interview with the child's parent; measurement of the child's height, weight, and waist circumference; and measurement of the parent's height and weight. It takes approximately 90 minutes to complete the data collection.
The baseline child interview includes topics such as physical activity and nutrition, tobacco use, alcohol use, drug use, injuries and violence, aggressive behaviors, substance use, romantic interests, physical and mental health, family relations, peer relations, school experiences, and media exposure. The parent interview includes topics such as family demographics, child's health and injuries, family relationships, child's exposure to violence, parent involvement in school, and neighborhood connectedness.
As schools and communities are very important in helping to raise healthy youth, Healthy Passages also looks at the school environment, finds out about school health policies, and gathers information about each child's neighborhood. Each fifth-grade teacher is asked to answer a few questions about him/herself and about the school setting. In addition, the teacher answers some questions about each child in his or her class who is participating in Healthy Passages. The school principal or designee answers some questions about school policies related to health education, health services, food service, and physical education. Information from school records related to grades, attendance, test scores, and special program participation is collected. Researchers also observe the child's neighborhood and school environment.
More information on the study design, objectives, and investigators is available at www.healthypassages.org*.
| * | Links to non-Federal organizations are provided solely as a service to our users. Links do not constitute an endorsement of any organization by CDC or the Federal Government, and none should be inferred. The CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization Web pages found at this link. |
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Page last reviewed: December 14, 2007
Page last modified: July 31, 2008
Content source: National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Adolescent and School Health
Division of Adolescent
and School Health
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Department of Health
and Human Services