Welcome to the Official Web site of the 2006 DoD Survey of Health
Related Behaviors Among Guard/Reserve Personnel
Reserve Component Survey Frequently Asked Questions
- What was the authority for this research?
- What was the survey about?
- When will the results be available?
- How were study participants selected?
- Were answers kept confidential?
- Who is RTI?
- What happened to the questionnaires?
- How are the data being used?
- Would anyone at my installation see my answers?
- Could people who were not selected to participate take the survey?
1. What was the authority for this research?
This research was authorized by the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs and supported by the Office of Drug Enforcement Policy and Support. RTI, a nonprofit research organization, is conducted the study through a contract with the TRICARE Management Activity, HPA&E. All Institutional Review Board and Requests for Information Collection approvals were obtained.Return to the list of questions.
2. What was the survey about?
The survey collected information on injuries and illnesses, alcohol and tobacco use, illicit drug use, nutrition and exercise, oral health, mental health and stress, deployment, weight, cholesterol, blood pressure, sexual health, and other health topics.Return to the list of questions.
3. When will the results be available?
Survey data were collected from May through August 2006 and a report was submitted to DoD in June 2007. Copies of the report will be available from the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs following release of the results.Return to the list of questions.
4. How were study participants selected?
Participants were selected as part of a stratified random sample. RTI statisticians first randomly selected 16 geographic clusters containing at least one representative site from each of the six Reserve/Guard Components of the Armed Forces (Army National Guard, Army Reserve, Naval Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, Air Guard, Air Force Reserve). Participants were selected to represent men and women in all Components.Return to the list of questions.
5. Were answers kept confidential?
As in previous years, the survey was designed so that all answers were anonymous and confidential; that is, participant names and social security numbers were not requested on the questionnaire. The data were analyzed collectively for all respondents and within various subgroups, such as Service, gender, age group, and pay grade group-never for an individual. Completed questionnaires were collected by RTI staff and mailed directly to a scanning firm. Only aggregate results were provided to DoD after all questionnaires had been processed and analyzed.Return to the list of questions.
6. Who is RTI?
RTI International is a private, nonprofit research organization with headquarters in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Associated with the University of North Carolina, Duke University, and North Carolina State University, RTI conducts various forms of laboratory and social research for government as well as commercial and industrial clients. DoD contracted with RTI to plan, conduct, and analyze data from the 2006 DoD Survey of Health-Related Behaviors among U.S. Reserve and Guard Personnel. More information About RTI is available.Return to the list of questions.
7. What happened to the questionnaires?
Each questionnaire was confidential and secure. Questionnaires completed in group sessions at installations remained in the custody of RTI staff, who sealed the cartons of completed questionnaires and ship them directly to a scanning firm. There, the questionnaires were batched and fed through an optical scanning machine, which read the answers and combines them with all others received during the study. The accumulated data were delivered electronically to RTI researchers for analysis. The questionnaires were stored in bulk until the conclusion of the study, when they were destroyed.Return to the list of questions.
8. How are the data being used?
Data collected for the survey enable a comprehensive assessment of the prevalence of substance use (alcohol, illicit drugs, and tobacco) and other health-related behaviors among U.S. Reserve/Guard personnel. Survey results help identify both the common needs of the Reserves and Guard and the distinct needs of each Component. The findings are being compared with those for active duty personnel to assess the strengths, limitations, and special needs of Reserve/Guard personnel. Data are used in scientific publications to better understand the nature, causes, and consequences of substance abuse and health practices in the military and to help evaluate and guide DoD and Service-specific programs and policies.Return to the list of questions.
9. Would anyone at my installation see my answers?
No one at your installation, in your unit or Service, or at DoD ever had access to your questionnaire. Questionnaires were all shipped directly to a scanning firm, where they were processed by machine and stored until the conclusion of the study, when they were destroyed.Return to the list of questions.
10. Could people who were not selected to participate take the survey?
No. In order for the results to be projected accurately, every person could have only one chance to be selected. Substituting someone else would have given the substitute two chances to be selected and would have lessened the validity and integrity of the data.Return to the list of questions.
tjm@rti.org
Copyright© 2006, RTI International
Last Update: 12 June 2006