Orange County NC Website
<br /> <br />County seeks feedback on <br />community health <br />Elizabeth Harvell | Published 8 hours ago <br />The Orange County Health Department wants to know the health priorities of its county residents. <br />Stacy Shelp, spokeswoman for the health department, said a community health assessment survey <br />is currently being conducted to learn about the health and quality of life in the Orange County <br />community. <br />“We will use this survey to set priorities for the next four years of services across the county,” Shelp <br />said. <br />Shelp explained the survey will cover several topics related to health and quality of life. <br />Questions will range from issues across Orange County to personal health issues. It only takes 10 to <br />15 minutes to complete, is confidential and has no right or wrong answers, Shelp said. <br />The survey first opened in early June and will close late July, she said. <br />Shelp said the results of the survey will be analyzed and used in a public report. The report will be <br />available to agencies across the county to develop programs and identify gaps in service. <br />Some examples of questions on the survey include asking about where residents get health-related <br />information, what the most urgent health issues for teens in Orange County are and what cancer <br />screenings residents have undergone. <br />The survey also asks questions related to participants’ mental health, exercise habits and nutrition. <br />“The report will also be used at the annual Healthy Carolinians of Orange County meeting in <br />September,” Shelp said. <br />Some UNC students have mixed reviews of the survey. <br />Garrett Powell, a junior biology major, said he is less than optimistic about the number of residents <br />who will actually complete the survey. <br />“I think the survey is a great idea,” Powell said. “But I don’t think that many people will fill it out since <br />it’s voluntary.” <br />Maggie Brownrigg, a junior chemistry major, said she thinks the survey would be more effective with <br />a different title.