Learning Objectives: At the end of the presentations, attendees will understand the various sources of youth prevalence and other measures on tobacco use, know the appropriate uses of each, and be able to use them accurately in education, advocacy, and evaluation efforts.
Abstract: Ever find your head spinning trying to reconcile different youth prevalence numbers from different sources -- or trying to explain the differences to a member of the media. This panel will address the major sources of youth prevalence data and the appropriate uses of each.
Surveillance and evaluation systems are an important component to preventing youth tobacco use and having an effective comprehensive program. Accurate data on tobacco use are also critical in advocating for various tobacco control measures. As more states are participating in various youth focused surveys it is important for advocates to understand the differences between each of the surveys and the data they produce. The panelists will discuss the different youth surveys being done at the state and national level (Youth Tobacco Survey, the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, and the Monitoring the Future Study, and National Household Survey on Drug Abuse) and what the differences between these surveys are. Other topics of the panel would include the importance of continuity in data sources when doing evaluations, why this data is so important and how this information can be reported and be of value.
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