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.