The Health District of Northern Larimer County is taking the pulse of the community, and it’s asking local residents for help.

Beginning this week, randomly selected households in Larimer County will be contacted about participating in the 2016 Community Health Survey. The survey helps the Health District better understand the health, and health-care needs, of area residents.

If selected, a household will receive a letter requesting participation in the survey. A follow-up mailing will include a copy of the 12-page, 65-question survey. The survey should be completed by the adult in the household who has the next birthday. It can be returned by mail or completed online.

Survey questions cover a broad range of subjects, including personal health, health behaviors—such as diet, physical activity, smoking and seatbelt use—and access to health-care services.

All survey responses are completely confidential. The Health District keeps no personal information on individual participants. Only aggregate results will be analyzed and reported.

The survey is part of the Health District’s periodic Community Health Assessment, which also includes a series of community forums where community members can express their opinions on a variety of health-related topics.

The Health District has performed its Community Health Assessment every three years since 1995, making it an unusually large and long-running heath data-gathering project for the size of the community. More than 2,800 Larimer County residents took the last Community Health Survey in 2013, and more than 180 people participated in the public forums.

Information gathered during the Community Health Assessment helps guide the planning and design of programs and services at the Health District. It is also shared with other local organizations working on health-related issues.

Partial support for this year’s survey comes from Larimer County Department of Health and Environment, North Colorado Health Alliance, TEAM Wellness & Prevention, CanDo Loveland and LiveWell Colorado.

People interested in more information about the 2016 Community Health Survey can call the Health District at (970) 224-5209 or visit www.healthdistrict.org/community-health-assessment.

If your household receives a letter notifying you that you have been selected to take the survey, you may complete the survey online at www.larimercountysurvey.org.