Florida Citizens Viewpoint 1999

A Study by The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Cooperative Extension Service

In the coming decade, decisions will be made which affect you and your community. This study is a way for you to give your opinions about certain issues and educational needs that may influence these decisions. The focus of the survey is your community so, in answering the questions, please think about the general area where you live, shop, and receive services such as schools, police and fire protection. Please answer all of the questions: your opinion is important!

We would like to begin by asking you to describe the community in which you live. Please circle the response that most nearly fits your answer.

1. Do you live in a:
   

   1	City
   2	Suburb of a City
   3	Small Town
   4	Rural Area

   
   
2. How do you feel about your community as a place to live? Do you consider it:
   

   1	Very Desirable
   2	Somewhat Desirable
   3	Neutral
   4	Somewhat Undesirable
   5	Very Undesirable
   6	Don't Know or Unsure

   
   
3. As you look ahead to the next five years, do you expect your community to become:
   

   1	More Desirable
   2	Will Stay About the Same
   3	Less Desirable
   4	Don't Know or Unsure

   
   
4. Now we would like to ask you about some issues that may be of concern for communities. How serious is each of the following issues for your community? Do you think it is (1) not a serious concern, (2) a somewhat serious concern, (3) a serious concern, or (4) a very serious concern for your community? (Circle number under appropriate heading.)
   

   	Not Serious	Somewhat Serious	Serious	Very Serious	Uncertain
   Crime and Violence	1	2	3	4	U
   Drug and Alcohol Abuse	1	2	3	4	U
   Teen Pregnancy	1	2	3	4	U
   Adequate Child Care	1	2	3	4	U
   Quality of Education	1	2	3	4	U
   Solid Waste Disposal	1	2	3	4	U
   Air Quality	1	2	3	4	U
   Quality of Drinking Water	1	2	3	4	U
   Cost of Living	1	2	3	4	U
   Availability of Jobs	1	2	3	4	U
   Affordable Housing	1	2	3	4	U
   Urban Growth	1	2	3	4	U
   Preservation of Agricultural Land	1	2	3	4	U
   Preservation of Wildlife Habitat	1	2	3	4	U
   Safe Food Supply	1	2	3	4	U
   Adequate Health Care	1	2	3	4	U
   Care for the Elderly	1	2	3	4	U
   List other issues that concern you.

   
   
5. Listed below are some potential educational needs that may exist in communities. We would like to have your opinion as to the priority that each should be given in your community. Do you think it is a (1) low priority, (2) moderate priority, or (3) high priority educational need for your community? (Please circle one response for each item.)
   

   	Low Priority	Moderate Priority	High Priority	Uncertain
   First, we would like to ask you about some potential educational needs relating to youth and teens in your community.
   Teen Smoking Prevention	1	2	3	U
   Teen Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention	1	2	3	U
   Teen Pregnancy Prevention	1	2	3	U
   Life Skills for Youth	1	2	3	U
   Career Exploration for Youth	1	2	3	U
   Now we would like to ask about some potential educational needs in health, nutrition, and food safety.
   Coping With Chronic Diseases (for example, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc.)	1	2	3	U
   Healthy Lifestyles (exercise, smoking cessation, drug and alcohol abuse, etc.)	1	2	3	U
   Topics Relating to Aging (housing, care, health, etc.)	1	2	3	U
   Nutrition Education	1	2	3	U
   Safe Food Handling in the Home	1	2	3	U
   Restaurant and Commercial Safe Food Handling	1	2	3	U
   Next, we would like to ask you about some potential educational needs related to family and home.
   Parenting Programs (infant care, child development, etc.)	1	2	3	U
   Training for Child Care Providers	1	2	3	U
   Training for Nursing Home Workers	1	2	3	U
   Family Financial Management	1	2	3	U
   Health Insurance Options (Medicare, long-term care, etc.)	1	2	3	U
   Home Upkeep and Repair	1	2	3	U
   Home Landscape Design and Maintenance	1	2	3	U
   Proper Home Use of Pesticide and Fertilizers	1	2	3	U
   Effective Gardening Methods	1	2	3	U
   We would like to ask you about some potential natural resource educational needs in your community.
   Conservation of Wildlife Habitat and Endangered Species	1	2	3	U
   Solid Waste Reduction	1	2	3	U
   Stewardship of Woodlands	1	2	3	U
   Control of Destructive and Invasive Plants	1	2	3	U
   Protecting the Marine Environment	1	2	3	U
   Water Recreation Safety	1	2	3	U
   Prevention of Water Pollution	1	2	3	U
   Energy Conservation	1	2	3	U
   Finally, we would like your opinion about some potential economic and community development needs.
   Natural Disaster Preparedness	1	2	3	U
   Community Leadership Skills Development	1	2	3	U
   Volunteer Skills Development	1	2	3	U
   Crime Prevention and Safety	1	2	3	U
   Community Economic Development	1	2	3	U
   Improved Farming Practices	1	2	3	U
   Improved Business Management Skills	1	2	3	U
   List other issues that concern you.

   
   
6. Prior to this survey, had you heard of any of the following organizations or groups? Please identify those that you had heard of: (Circle number beside all appropriate.)
   

   1	University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS)
   2	Cooperative Extension Service
   3	4-H Clubs
   4	Master Gardeners
   5	Family and Community Educator Clubs
   6	Expanded Foods and Nutrition Education Program

   
   
7. Finally, we need to ask a few questions about you and your household. This information, as with all information provided in this survey, will be used for statistical analysis only and will remain strictly confidential.
   1. In what year were you born? (last two digits) _____

   2. Your gender? (male or female) _____

   3. During the past 12 months did you or a member of your household participate in or receive information from the Cooperative Extension Service (County Extension Agents' Office) in any of the following areas? (Circle all that apply.)
      

      1	Agriculture or Horticulture
      2	Wildlife, Forestry or Fisheries
      3	Family and Consumer Sciences (Home Economics)
      4	4-H/Youth
      5	Community or Public Affairs
      6	Marine Sciences
      7	Energy Conservation
      8	To my knowledge, did not participate in or receive information from the Cooperative Extension Service.

      
      
   4. How long have you lived in the local area (to the nearest year)? ________

   5. How many people, including yourself, live in your household? ________

   6. What is the highest level of education that you have completed? (Circle one.)
      

      1	Did not complete high school
      2	High school or equivalent
      3	Some college or vocational school
      4	College degree

      
      
   7. Which of the following best describes your current employment situation? (Circle one.)
      

      1	Employed for pay by a company/business/government
      2	Self-employed
      3	Laid-off, but looking for work
      4	Unemployed
      5	Homemaker
      6	Retired
      7	Other (please specify) ________________________________

      
      
   8. Which of the following categories best describes your 1998 total household income from all sources before taxes? (Circle one.)
      

      1	Less than $15,000
      2	$15,000 to $29,999
      3	$30,000 to $44,999
      4	Over $45,000

      
      

This concludes the survey. Thank you very much for your help and cooperation!

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