Texas School Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey (TX SPAN)

Project Details

TX SPAN is a surveillance system to monitor the prevalence of overweight/obesity in school-aged children in Texas. This surveillance system allows researchers to identify and track trends in childhood obesity. TX SPAN identifies factors in Texas students that may underlie obesity, including dietary behaviors; nutrition knowledge and attitudes; and physical activity. The current TX SPAN will include probability-based sampling of students in 4th, 8th, and 11th grade, with a concurrent sampling of 2nd grade student parents, and a Texas-Mexico border-specific sample. Papers detailing the main results of SPAN for 2015-2016 and 2019-2020 are currently in process.

Who conducts it?

The TX SPAN Project is conducted by researchers at the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health in Austin, with funding from the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS).

Partners of the TX SPAN Project include:

• Texas Department of State Health Services
• West Texas (Panhandle) Area Health Education Center (AHEC)
• Area Health Education Center of the Plains
• HSR 4/5 Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Community Health Program
• Greater Houston Area Heath Education Center
• Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Department of Border Health
• Desert Mountain AHEC
• City of El Paso Health Department Office of Border Public Health (OBPH), Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS)
• Area Health Education Center of the Mid Rio Grande Border Area
• The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Nursing
• The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health
• The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health in Austin
• The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health in San Antonio 
• The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health in Brownsville
• The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health in Dallas
• The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health in El Paso

What kind of information is collected during TX SPAN?

TX SPAN data collection consists of (1) administration of a questionnaire which assesses food choice behaviors; food selection skills; weight perceptions and practices; nutrition knowledge; attitudes about food and eating; and physical activity behaviors; (2) height and weight measurements; (3) and school environment observations including a vending machine audit, healthy signage observations, and a school-level health policy questionnaire.

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Research Details

Years Administered:

• 2000-2002
• 2004-2005
• 2009-2011
• 2015-2016
• 2019-2020
• 2021-2023

Population: Texas students and their parents

• 2000-2002: 4^th, 8^th and 11^th graders
• 2004-2005: 4^th, 8^th and 11^th graders
• 2009-2011: 4^th graders and their parents; 8^th and 11^th graders
• 2015-2016: 2^nd graders and their parents; 4th, 8^th and 11^th graders
• 2019-2020: 2^nd graders and their parents; 4th, 8^th and 11^th graders
• 2021-2023: 2^nd graders and their parents; 4th, 8^th and 11^th graders

Sample Size:

• 2000-2002: 15,164 students
• 2004-2005: 23,190 students
• 2009-2011: 14,191 students and 3,733 parents
• 2015-2016: 15,236 students and 2,317 parents
• 2019-2020: 7,627 students and 1,083 parents
  • Note that the sample size for this iteration of the TX SPAN survey was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic
• 2021-2023: 10,857 students and 2,108 parents

Past Questionnaires:

Past versions of the TX SPAN Questionnaire are available below in PDF format.

	4th Grade	8th-11th Grade	Parents
2000-2002	English / Spanish	English / Spanish	-
2004-2005	English / Spanish	English / Spanish	-
2009-2011	English / Spanish	English / Spanish	4th Grade:  English / Spanish
2015-2016	English / Spanish	English / Spanish	2nd Grade: English / Spanish
2019-2020	English / Spanish	English / Spanish	2nd Grade: English / Spanish
2021-2023	English / Spanish	English / Spanish	2nd Grade: English / Spanish

Validation/reliability (4^th grade):

Thiagarajah K, Fly AD, Hoelscher DM, Bai Y, Lo K, Leone A, Shertzer JA.  Validating the food behavior questions from the elementary school SPAN questionnaire.  J Nutr Ed Behav.  2006; 38/ 4; S55.

Penkilo M, George G, Hoelscher DM. Reproducibility of the School Based Nutrition Monitoring Questionnaire among Fourth Grade Students in Texas. J Nutr Ed Behav. 2008: 40/1; 20-27.

Validation/reliability (8^th grade):

Hoelscher DM, Day RS, Kelder SH & Ward JL (2003) Reproducibility and validity of the secondary level School-Based Nutrition Monitoring student questionnaire. Journal of American Dietetic Association, 103(2),186-94.

Additional references and citations are available by clicking the Publications tab above.

General information about use of the TX SPAN Survey:

• The TX SPAN Questionnaire is not copyrighted and may be used without written permission from the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health in Austin.
• We ask that we are cited in any manuscripts (see Publications tab) using the TX SPAN tools.
• We are also happy to help anyone wanting to use the survey tools with needed protocols, analysis directions, and logistics in conducting research using the TX SPAN tools. Please contact the TX SPAN Project Director, Carolyn Smith at [email protected]

People: 

Deanna M. Hoelscher, PhD, RDN, LD, CNS, FISBNPA
Principal Investigator 

Nalini Ranjit, PhD
Co-Investigator 

Adriana Perez, PhD
Co-Investigator 

Carolyn Smith
Project Director

Kyna Farmer
Research Assistant

Pablo Martinez
Programmer

Amelia Roebuck
Dell Health Scholar

Raja Malkani
Research Assistant

DJ Badillo
Research Assistant

Richard Tandaju
Research Assistant

Deanna Hoelscher, PhD, RDN, LD, CNS, FISBNPA

Adriana Pérez, PhD

Nalini Ranjit, PhD

Principal Investigator, Texas SNAP-Ed Evaluation; Co-Principal Investigator, GAVA Evaluation Study

Resource Guide: Child Obesity Research

Improving child health is a cornerstone of the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living's mission, and we invite you to explore the Center's valuable resources focused on improving child and adolescent obesity throughout Texas, the US, and beyond.

Deep-rooted child obesity issue in Texas and Waco area offers no quick fixes

Deanna Hoelscher, PhD, RD, was interviewed by the Waco Tribune-Herald about the prevalence of childhood obesity in Texas.

Texas Researchers Provide Startling Data Behind Why Over 25% of Latino Kids Have Childhood Obesity

Childhood obesity is getting worse over time, especially for Latinos. Researchers in Texas (39.4% Latino) recently released a data explorer that illustrates trends in body mass index of school-aged children in their state (52% Latino).