Photo by Scott Graham on Unsplash

LIBERTY, NY —  Sullivan County residents may have recently received—or shortly will receive—a health survey from the NYU School of Medicine to complete.   

This is phase two of a multi-year project, and many recipients may recall getting a survey in 2021. Sullivan County Public Health Services and the NYU School of Medicine partnered last year to perform a health survey sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to better understand the health and dietary patterns of residents in Sullivan County and the prevalence of diabetes. The project is titled “The Impact of the Food Environment and Other Environmental Exposures on the Risk of Diabetes in Rural Settings.”

Surveys were recently mailed to approximately 4,000 individuals who participated in phase one of the study and returned their surveys. In the first round, participants were randomly selected households throughout Sullivan County.

The survey takes approximately five to 10 minutes to complete, and those who reply will receive a $50 Visa gift card by mail. It is completely voluntary, and responses will be kept confidential. No information will be collected or used to identify anyone who participates in the survey, although respondents must be a Sullivan County resident to be eligible.

“This will be a key tool in improving our understanding of food insecurity, environmental health issues and the risk of diabetes in Sullivan County,” public health director Nancy McGraw said. “We hope that the findings from the research will allow us to develop and invest in targeted community health initiatives where it is most needed, and to make Sullivan County a healthier place to live, work and visit.”

Questions regarding the surveys or the project can be directed to Public Health at 845/292-5910.