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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. How will the survey benefit my community?
  2. What makes the Community Readiness Survey unique?
  3. How long does it take community members to complete the survey?
  4. Could the survey be performed at a county level?
  5. Can survey results be reported by various sub-groups, e.g. school districts, neighborhoods, age or other groups?
  6. Can additional questions be added to the survey?
  7. What can my community do to boost our survey response rates?
  8. How long does it take to get results from the survey?
  9. What do I have to do?
  10. How many community members will be included in the sample?
  11. I do not want my sample drawn based on zip code. Are their other options?
  12. I work with a population of color. What are my options?
  13. Can the survey be used as a pre-post measure of change?

  1. How will the survey benefit my community?
    The survey will help you “take the prevention temperature” of your community’s readiness to address alcohol, tobacco, other drug use and problem gambling. Upon completion of the survey, communities will know better how to:
    • Raise awareness of community norms and attitudes towards alcohol, tobacco, other drugs and gambling.
    • Focus prevention efforts on the areas of greatest need.
    • Strengthen ongoing prevention strategies.

  2. What makes the Community Readiness Survey unique?
    First, the survey is designed to be taken by a random sample of community residents, that is, the average person “on the street.” Other surveys often focus on community leaders and selected residents. Second, the results provide a community profile that allows communities to take a variety of action steps/strategies based on that profile. It is possible that two communities with the same profile might choose to move in different directions, depending on community members’ interests, resources available, etc.

  3. How long does it take community members to complete the survey?
    The survey takes about 20 minutes to complete.

  4. Could the survey be performed at a county level?
    The survey is meant to be a community level survey. However, we have conducted the survey at the county level under certain conditions: The residents in the county must be demographically homogeneous, and the communities within the county must also be fairly homogeneous. A word of caution: Even if several communities look the same to an outsider, they may feel quite different to residents themselves. Different communities within the county may also be at different levels of readiness.

  5. Can survey results be reported by various sub-groups, e.g. school districts, neighborhoods, age or other groups?
    MIPH reports each survey item by gender, age, ethnicity, level of education, and parental status. But we do not report the data by geographic sub-locals, such as neighborhoods. The surveys are returned anonymously, so we do not know exactly where the respondents live within the community. Also, the response rates from sub-groups are often too small to draw meaningful results. If a community is interested in sub-group results, it may be best to conduct multiple surveys.

  6. Can additional questions be added to the survey?
    Unfortunately, no. The survey has been carefully validated in its current form. Adding questions means changing the psychometrics (that is, the science behind survey). Plus, it is already 100 items long. Making it longer risks fewer people responding.

  7. What can my community do to boost our survey response rates?
    Below are simple suggestions of what communities can do to boost response rates and they are optional.
    • Send the pre-notification letter out on local letterhead, signed by a local person that community members will recognize.
    • Create local “buzz” about the survey prior to it being mailed. This basically means getting the word out about the survey. Various communities have done this by printing articles in the local paper, issuing press releases, and announcing the survey at local meetings.
    • Include an incentive with the survey mailing. The community pays for the cost of the incentive. Various communities have used pens, refrigerator magnets, and grocery or pizza coupons as incentives. Often, local organizations will donate these incentives, so the cost of including an incentive may not fall on your organization. 

  8. How long does it take to get results from the survey?
    From start to finish, the survey process takes 4 to 6 months. In the end, communities will have a comprehensive report with graphics and text that clearly explains the findings and recommends action steps.

  9. What do I have to do?
    The community contact is asked to review cover letters, provide signatures for the letters, determine zip code(s) or geographic boundaries that will be sampled and decide on the incentive. In addition, the community is asked to provide letterhead and business envelopes with return address for the pre-notification letter.

  10. How many community members will be included in the sample?
    Typically a sample of 600 is drawn based on zip code. Contrary to logical thinking, the sample size does not need to increase at the same rate as the population. We have determined that in most cases, a sample size of 600 results in response rates that yield about a 7% margin of error.

  11. I do not want my sample drawn based on zip code. Are their other options?
    Yes. For example, the sample can be drawn based on residents of a school district or census tracts.

  12. I work with a population of color. What are my options?
    We’ve used a variety of methods in populations of color. If the population is English-speaking, a mail survey may work. In fact, we’ve used mail surveys with Native American populations and had good response rates. We’ve also implemented the survey at community events, such as feasts or pow-wows, and been quite successful. In non-English speaking populations, e.g., Southeast Asians, we’ve trained youth to ask the survey questions of adults in their native language. We will work with you to determine the method most appropriate for your particular population.

  13. Can the survey be used as a pre-post measure of change?
    Several communities have used the survey to measure change over time. These communities used the pre-test survey to identify specific norms to target. They then implemented strategies for addressing these norms. After a period of two to three years, these communities administered the survey to a new sample of residents to measure whether targeted changes had occurred. Changing resident attitudes and norms takes time, and so we recommend a minimum of two years between pre- and post- administrations. Three or more years is even better. There is an additional cost for the report generated that specifically compares pre- to post-test administrations of the survey.