Frequently asked questions

General questions | Frequently asked by students | Frequently asked by teachers


General questions

Why is this survey important? What difference will it make?

The major aim of the COMPASS project is to help support healthy students by providing the healthiest school environments possible for Canadian secondary school students. To accomplish this, COMPASS will:

  • measure a wide variety of youth health behaviours as students progress through high school, and

  • measure the school environment during this time.

This will allow us to see which school policies, programs, and resources actually result in healthier Canadian youth and examine youth mental health behaviours over time. This is the first time this has been done in the history of Canada, and internationally.

Participating schools will receive a summarized version of their survey results in the form of a School Health Profile. This report will help highlight potential health issues at the school and suggest ways to improve overall student health. To help schools take action, COMPASS can connect schools with existing stakeholders in public health and work with them to provide students with the healthiest environment possible.

Overall COMPASS results can be used by government and public health officials to identify areas of concern and emerging trends in youth health. The end-goal is for these stakeholders to work with schools to develop new programs and policies that will make a positive difference for students in the school. 

Healthy kids tend to do better academically than less healthy kids. To that end, COMPASS aims to promote the long-term success of Canadian youth.

What will this information be used for?

Schools receive a summary of student responses in the form of a School Health Profile. The data in the School Health Profile are presented as school-level percentages for important health behaviours (e.g., the percentage of students within the school meeting the physical activity guidelines).The School Health Profile is designed to inform the school about student health behaviours. Additionally, it can be used to determine if existing programs and policies are supporting healthy students, and whether any changes to policies and programs translate into changes in student health.

If interested, schools can be connected with existing public health stakeholders who can help the school transform information from the School Health Profile into action. Schools are also encouraged to be creative when making use of their School Health Profile. In addition to using the results as a teaching tool and to inform school policy, some examples of how schools can use the feedback include:

  • Principals, vice-principals, and teachers can talk to students about health behaviours of students in their schools.

  • Using overall school results in health units/courses and at health fairs where displays are available to students and parents.

  • Sharing the overall school results with school councils, parent councils, and superintendents.

  • Using the school's aggregate COMPASS data in applications for school grants.

  • Condensing the school's overall results into monthly school newsletters that are sent to families.

  • Sharing the school's overall results with the school's public health nurse and health action team.

Overall COMPASS results can be used by governments and public health officials to identify areas of concern and emerging trends in youth health. The end-goal is for these stakeholders to work with schools to develop new programs and policies that will make a positive difference for students in the school. 

What kinds of questions does COMPASS ask? Are you allowed to ask these kinds of questions?

The COMPASS survey addresses physical activity, healthy eating, sedentary behaviour, tobacco use, alcohol use, cannabis and opioid use, mental health, school connectedness, and academic achievement.

The survey is available for viewing upon request by contacting the COMPASS team or your school administration.

The COMPASS team has completed an ethics review and has been granted full clearance through the Office of Research Ethics at the University of Waterloo and through each relevant provincial jurisdiction. The Office of Research Ethics closely reviews the questions on the survey before they can be used. School boards and schools are also required to read and approve the questionnaire before agreeing to participate.

Students can skip any questions they prefer not to answer, or decline to participate at any time.

Is my child too young to be asked questions about smoking/alcohol/drugs?

Research tells us that youth in grades 7-12 already know about these topic areas.

The average age at which students smoke their first whole cigarette is 11 years old. In addition, adolescents are the most vulnerable population subset to start smoking, with 85% of current smokers starting by age 19. By grade 12, the majority of students are current users of alcohol, tobacco, or drugs. The good news is that informed students who can process ideas in a safe environment such as a classroom, are more likely to make healthy choices.

Tobacco and substance use/abuse are part of the school health curriculum from grade 7 on. We encourage teachers to incorporate the COMPASS experience into discussions on these topics, and to use the School Health Profile as a teaching tool. In addition, data from the COMPASS study will be used to create healthier school environments, which further protect youth from tobacco and other substances.

Will asking questions about these topics actually encourage certain behaviours?

No. Surveillance surveys have been conducted for decades with the youth/adolescent population and many health professionals argue that the benefits of surveillance far outweigh any potential risks. Youth in grades 7 to 11/12 are educated about smoking, alcohol, and drugs in school as part of the education curriculum. Additionally, the online COMPASS survey uses skip patterns such that participants who answer “no” to an initial question about a given substance are not shown any additional questions regarding use of that substance, thus limiting their exposure to the topics.

Why do you ask about ethnicity?

One task of a survey is to provide a clear picture of the behaviours under study, in this case health behaviours. Health behaviours often differ between demographic groups (e.g., by sex, age) and therefore these groups may require different types of approaches to promote their health. We ask students to indicate their ethnic background to help inform the development of new culturally appropriate prevention interventions. This information can help schools and governments develop programs to improve the health of all students more equitably.

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Frequently asked by students

Why is my name on the Students with No Permission list?

A student may be on the Students with No Permission List for one of two reasons:

  1. The information-permission letter sent to parents could not be delivered (due to a change in phone number or email address, etc.), or

  2. A parent called or emailed to request that their child not participate.

Please note: If a student is 18 or older, they have the legal right to decide for themselves whether they will be part of the survey or not and do not require parental permission.

Why am I asked to fill out questions A to E at the beginning of the survey?

In long-term studies such as COMPASS, researchers need a method to connect private individual responses over the course of the study. For COMPASS, it is important to track any changes in individual students' health behaviours over time. Your answers to questions A to E at the beginning of the survey create a code that is unique from all codes created by other students participating in COMPASS. Because your name will never appear on the COMPASS survey, your name will never be linked to the code you generate. Additionally, your name can never be linked to the answers you give on the survey. By filling out questions A to E at the beginning of the survey, the code that is generated allows COMPASS researchers to connect student data over time while keeping responses completely confidential.

Because the survey is online and information is transmitted over the internet, is there potential for a third party to have access to my answers?

Information collected during this survey is stored on a secure server at the University of Waterloo. When information is transmitted over the internet there remains a possibility of a third-party gaining access to that information. That said, because the survey does not ask for any identifying information (e.g., name), any information you provide will be anonymous and will be kept private.

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Frequently asked by teachers

What should I do if I have students in my class with special needs?

We strive to give all students the opportunity to participate in our projects. If a student with special needs has difficulty reading the questionnaire, you may read him/her the questions from an extra copy of the questionnaire, but to ensure confidentiality we ask that you do not view the students’ answers. We recognize that completing the survey may not be appropriate or feasible for some students and ask that you use your discretion in these cases.

Will our school “get in trouble” if a lot of students are physically inactive, or use tobacco/alcohol/cannabis, or report other unhealthy behaviours?

No, a school will never get in trouble based on the results of their participation in this survey.

The list of schools who participate in the COMPASS survey is confidential. The Office of Research Ethics does not permit us to release this list to anyone. Participating schools will receive a tailored School Health Profile showing their survey results, but this information will not be released to anyone else unless the school itself wishes to share it with third parties.

Similarly, for students who complete the COMPASS survey, their responses are completely confidential. Individual surveys are identified by an alpha-numeric code only and results are analyzed as a group.

Your school may benefit from participation in COMPASS, because we can connect you with resources and support to improve healthy behaviours, decrease unhealthy behaviours and create a healthier school environment.

What if some students, in addition to the no-permission students, express that they do not want to take part in the survey on the day of DC?

Participating in the COMPASS survey is voluntary, if students decide not to participate on the day of data collections, they are not required to do so.

Can multiple students complete the survey using a shared computer?

Yes, multiple students are able to complete the survey using a shared computer. However, each student using the computer must submit their questionnaire answers before another student can begin completing a new questionnaire to ensure confidentiality. Otherwise, students will open partially completed surveys from previous students, as responses are saved in the browser cache until the submit button is pressed.

What if some students ask for additional time to complete the survey?

Students must complete the survey within the two-week time period that the survey link is available to your school. Students can complete any unfinished questions on the survey on their own time if classroom time is not enough, but they must complete the survey using the same browser and device upon any subsequent completion attempts.

Please note that students must submit their questionnaire answers when working on a shared computer at school before another student can begin completing a new questionnaire. Otherwise, students will open partially completed surveys from previous students, as responses are saved in the browser cache until the submit button is pressed.

What if we face technology or internet difficulties/issues during the time that students are filling out the survey?

Students can complete the survey on their own time if technology or internet difficulties occur and class time cannot be allocated on an alternate day. If students have already started to complete the survey, they can access their partially completed survey if they use the same browser and device upon any subsequent completion attempts.

Please note that students must submit their questionnaire answers when working on a shared computer at school before another student can begin completing a new questionnaire. Otherwise, students will open partially completed surveys from previous students, as responses are saved in the browser cache until the submit button is pressed.

Can students complete the survey on their phone/tablets if a computer is not available?

The survey can be completed on a phone or tablet; it has been successfully tested for use on a number of mobile phone operating systems, including android and apple.

What if the students cannot access the survey link?

The survey may not be available if students try to access the survey before the 9 am or specified start time on the day the survey opens.

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