Measuring What Matters: 28 Years of the Campus Health & Wellness Survey

For almost three decades, Campus Health has had the privilege of conducting a survey across the University of Arizona’s Main Campus to get a snapshot of student wellbeing. Initially designed to learn about alcohol and other drug use, the Health and Wellness survey now gains insight on student behaviors and attitudes on a wide variety of topics such as: (1) Inclusive Demographics, (2) Alcohol and Other Drugs, (3) Mental Health, (4) Physical Wellness and Body Image, (5) Sexual Health, (6) Mental Health, (7) Campus Resource Utilization and (8) Violence Experienced.  

With undergraduate courses of 25+ students enrolled and graduate courses of more than 15 students, there is a 50% and 40% chance of a course being selected, respectively. From the initial outreach letter signed by Campus Health’s Executive Director, Dr. David Salafsky, course instructors have the opportunity to opt in. In January 2025, over 170 courses agreed to participate in the Health and Wellness survey that will be conducted throughout February. Historically, over 4,500 students complete the survey, yielding one of the largest response rates on the University of Arizona campus. Campus Health Evaluation Manager, Rachel Abraham, said, “the Health and Wellness Survey provides critical insight into student behaviors impacting their overall health and in turn their academic success.” 

This survey allows Campus Health to put the data into practice and gear outreach activities and services to help meet students where they are. For example, the data gleaned from this survey allowed the Health Promotion team at Campus Health to see how alcohol use on campus is often intertwined with mental health symptoms. Using this data, the Health Education team expanded alternative approaches to alcohol prevention programming – focusing on healthy coping mechanisms, brief interventions, and gamification of alcohol education.   

This critical data informs activities, programs, and services at Campus Health and allows all members of Student Affairs and the larger campus community to use the data to best support students in their respective units. 

The Health and Wellness survey concludes on February 28, 2025, with the data ready to be shared in early summer. For questions regarding the survey, results or methodology please contact Rachel Abraham at rachelabraham@arizona.edu or visit health.arizona.edu/data.