Talking computer monitors teenage health

By Dita De Boni

Text-to-speech software and notebook computers are providing a new way of conducting a survey on the emotional wellbeing of teenagers.

About 150 students from Tamaki, Carmel, Waitakere and Ngaruawahia Colleges are involved in a pilot programme testing for "connectedness" to family and community.

Using notebook computers and headphones, they answer up to 150 questions in the survey, which was developed using MacroMedia Director software.

It takes up to 40 minutes to complete and is accompanied by a soundtrack and a colourful visual presentation.

Answers are collated confidentially on incremental data files, with a code entered by the survey administrator to denote school region only.

When the notebooks have finished touring schools, answers from the data files will be put on a central database at Starship children's hospital in Grafton.

Project director Darren Cottingham says the text-to-speech programme enables students to hear all the questions - some of which include complex terminology - "negating the possible effects of low reading ages".

The survey software, which can lead respondents to different branches of questioning depending on age, ethnicity or sex, asks students about a range of topics including sexual history, gang affiliations and suicidal tendencies.

Dr Simon Denny, chief resident at Starship and one of the questionnaire developers, says computers are "the way of the future" for surveys requiring honest and sometimes highly personal answers.

"The answers go straight into a main database, and the respondents aren't linked in any way to their answers. They don't give their names or anything, so there's complete confidentiality.

"It's a great idea because kids absolutely love to use the computers and they really like the questions being spoken as well. If you gave these questions to them on paper, they'd take one look at it and say 'nah'," he says.

The pilot system has cost the researchers almost $40,000, including the cost of 13 notebooks and development of the software. They are now asking the Government for $200,000 to survey 10,000 young people next year.

But Dr Denny says the survey, which he aims to translate into Maori, is worth the cost.

"We are talking about preventive emotional care by trying to find out why our young people have such poor emotional health."