The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) oversees crucial public health surveys through its Bureau of Assessment and Evaluation (BAE) as part of its Division of Public Health Prevention Services. This includes managing the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and School Health Profiles (SHPs). Aiming for a broad public health impact, ADHS has emphasized the Collective Impact Model, fostering collaborative partnerships, notably with the Arizona Department of Education (ADE). In a significant shift in 2018, prompted by a joint application for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funding to improve school health outcomes, leadership for school-based surveillance moved to BAE, highlighting its epidemiological strengths. Efforts have since focused on addressing local school health needs, enhancing interagency cooperation, and improving school health programs' scope to include socio-emotional and community health aspects. With the transition of YRBS and SHPs to BAE, ADHS has expanded its collaboration, particularly around Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) surveillance, to support Arizona communities better. Now, ADHS seeks CDC support to continue implementing a comprehensive school-based surveillance program to gather and share critical behavioral health and policy information, aiming to enhance adolescent health and wellbeing through improved state and local partnerships, professional development, and school support initiatives. In addition, Arizona has a significant portion of historically marginalized groups, including Hispanic, Latino, and American Indian populations, who disproportionately suffer from adverse health outcomes. ADHS is enhancing its strategy to address health disparities, particularly among Native Americans, by planning to oversample in counties with significant Native populations and improving our recruitment of schools by the 2025 YRBS. Furthermore, ADHS is addressing health disparities among LGBTQ+ s
tudents by analyzing and disseminating YRBS data through infographics and presentations, focusing on mental health, disordered eating, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and electronic vape product (EVP) use. Also, the BAE is now considering including youth with special healthcare needs in public surveys, partnering with the Children and Youth with Special Healthcare Needs Program at ADHS for innovative identification methods and unique analyses. These concerted efforts emphasize ADHS's commitment to reducing health disparities and enhancing health equity for all of Arizona's youth, particularly those from historically marginalized communities. Despite sampling only a subset of schools, YRBS and SHPs have provided a representative snapshot of health behaviors and policies, aiding state and local health departments and schools in identifying emerging health concerns and disparities among youth. A consistent and comprehensive surveillance program is vital for highlighting successes and pinpointing areas needing assistance to impact youth health positively. Arizona aims to establish robust data collection, analysis, and reporting procedures, enhancing public health capacity to implement effective school-based programs and policies. Finally, ADHS plans to establish a YRBS advisory committee that will engage diverse stakeholders in decision-making and promotional activities to sustain and improve the state's performance of YRBS and SHP. By the end of the fifth year, the goal is to promote evidence-informed programming and policies to mitigate risk behaviors associated with mental health issues, ACEs, violence, bullying, and risky behaviors such as vaping, disordered eating, and unsafe sex. Collaborative partnerships with agencies like the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission (ACJC) and Arizona Department of Education (ADE) will further enable the YRBS and SHPs to serve as evaluative tools for public health initiatives targeting Arizona's youth, ther
eby fostering targeted.
