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The Florida Department of Health works to protect, promote & improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county & community efforts.
Middle School Health Behavior Survey (MSHBS)
Florida Youth Survey Coordinator
The Middle School Health Behavior Survey (MSHBS) is a statewide, school-based confidential survey of Florida's public middle school students. The purpose of the MSHBS is to monitor priority health-risk behaviors that contribute substantially to the leading causes of death, disability, and social problems among youth, which contribute to patterns in adulthood.
The first MSHBS was administered in 2009. The MSHBS expands on the Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey (YPANS), a statewide, school-based confidential survey of Florida's public middle school students administered in 2003, 2005 and 2007. YPANS was supported by the Obesity Prevention Program in the Bureau of Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. State data collection for the MSHBS does not include county-level data.
The MSHBS is part of the Florida Youth Survey (FYS), which includes the Florida Youth Tobacco Survey (FYTS), the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), and the Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey (FYSAS). The Florida Youth Survey Effort is an inter-agency collaboration of the Florida Department of Education, Children and Families, Health and Juvenile Justice.
- Survey Guidelines
- Questionnaires
- MSHBS Reports
- Data Request
Topics on the MSHBS
The following topics are asked in this survey: 1) Demographic information (age, gender, grade, race/ethnicity, weight, height); 2) Unintentional injuries and violence; 3) Tobacco use; 4) Alcohol and other drug use; 5) Dietary behaviors; and 6) Physical Activity
Sampling Methods
The MSHBS is based on a two-stage cluster probability sample design. First, a random sample of public middle schools is selected for participation in the survey. Second, within each selected school, a random sample of classrooms is selected, and all students in those classes are invited to participate in the survey. The responses of the survey participants are weighted to be representative of all Florida public middle school students.
Target Population
Florida public middle school students (6-8 grade levels)
Data Analysis
Since the MSHBS is based on a two-stage cluster probability sampling methodology rather than a simple random sample, SUDAAN or advanced components of SAS or other statistical programs are recommended for the data analysis. Confidence interval is an important measure of statistical significance and very useful when making comparison between data.
Youth Online Analysis Tool
2019 Reports
2017 Reports
2015 Reports
2013 Reports
Topic-Specific Fact Sheets
Alcohol and Other Drug Use Dietary Behavior
Unintentional Injuries Physical Activity
Related Documents
2011 Reports
Topic-Specific Fact Sheets
Dietary Behavior Substance Use
Physical Activity School Safety
2009 Reports
Topic-Specific Fact Sheets
Dietary Behavior Substance Use
Data Analysis Report
If you want our statisticians to conduct data analysis for you and provide you with the results or if you would like data sets to conduct your own analysis, please send the data request form to (email is best):
Florida Youth Survey Coordinator
Public Health Research
Division of Community Health Promotion
Florida Department of Health
4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin A-24
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1708
Email: FloridaYouthSurvey@flhealth.gov
Telephone: 850-558-9659
All requests will be processed in a timely manner on a first-come, first-serve basis. Data sets are available in SAS or Excel/CSV format.
Please note: Florida has a very broad public records law. Most written communications to or from state officials regarding state business are public records available to the public and media upon request. Your e-mail communications may therefore be subject to public disclosure.
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