Surveys and Surveillance Data

Surveys and surveillance data provide researchers, policymakers, and decision-makers with important information about population-level health. 

Surveys

Surveys provide public health researchers and decision-makers with a point-in-time snapshot of people's actions during a given period. The MDH Center for Health Statistics plays a lead role in the following statewide surveys:

• Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS)
  Minnesota BRFSS is a telephone survey that collects data on many topics, including smoking, obesity, physical activity, food, chronic disease, and access to health care.
• Minnesota Student Survey (MSS)
  The MSS is administered every three years to students and includes questions about a wide variety of youth behaviors. 
• Minnesota Adult Tobacco Survey (MATS)
  When it was active, MATS measured adults' behaviors, attitudes and beliefs toward commercial tobacco. 
• Minnesota Youth Tobacco Survey (MYTS)
  MYTS measures youth use/exposure to different types of commercial tobacco products and vaping.
• School Health Profiles Survey
  School Health Profiles shares data about school health policies and practices in middle and high schools.

Other programs at the Minnesota Department of Health also conduct surveys. To learn more about current MDH phone surveys, please visit MDH Phone Surveys.

Surveillance data

Public health surveillance is when public health organizations collect, analyze, and share population health data from a point in time, so policymakers and decision-makers can make population-level changes to improve entire communities' health. Public health surveillance data does not include private or individual health/medical information. The MDH Center for Health Statistics leads the following data reports: 

• Cannabis Use in Minnesota
  These reports provides an overview of the current state of surveillance data on cannabis use in Minnesota.
• Induced Abortion in Minnesota
  MDH publishes a yearly report to the Minnesota Legislature on the previous year’s abortions. 

Other programs at MDH also collect surveillance data. To view more, visit Data, Statistics, and Legislation.