Person, Vance, and Moore counties in North Carolina are the counties where eligible participants attended public middle or high schools between 2002-2006.

Person County

Person County Learning Academy

Southern Middle School

Northern Middle School

Person High School

Vance County

Western Vance Secondary School

Eaton-Johnson Middle School

Henderson Middle School

North Vance High School

Southern Vance High School

Moore County

Pickney Academy

Elise Middle School

Southern Middle School 

Highfalls Elementary School

Westmoore Elementary School

New Century Middle School

West Pine Middle School

North Moore High School

Union Pines High School

Pinecrest High School

If you attended a public middle or high school in Vance, Person, or Moore county between 2002-2006, you may be eligible.

We were interested in looking at various risky behavior outcomes for adolescents and those were alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, substance use more generally, violence -- whether it was dating violence or violence towards peers -- that was certainly part of it. Mental health, some educational outcomes... My colleague, Dr. Robert Faris, had a whole array of behaviors that can put adolescents at risk for just negative outcomes. We were interested in looking at those behaviors developmentally. So from early adolescence at about age 12 or 6th grade, which was the beginning of middle school through high school. That was the the period covered. Development was a really big part of it. Kids initiate and get into trouble and get out of trouble.

In terms of trying to understand those behaviors, we wanted to look at the multiple settings or contexts or environments that adolescents live in. So that was their families, their friends, their larger peer networks in schools setting and their neighborhoods. So getting all of those multiple contexts and then analytically, our interest was, how do we describe those contexts in a very comprehensive, holistic way with many different sort of qualities and attributes measured. Then looking at both within any single context, like peer networks. What were attributes of the peer network that might contribute to development of bullying or aggression among adolescents? Alcohol, tobacco use, etc. But then a larger purpose was looking at "how do all those contexts relate?" We really want to understand adolescence in the context of families, peers, schools, and neighborhoods all together. - Dr. Susan Ennett

This is a very special sample because it's rural. Because we have this mix of primarily African American and White kids because we looked at them for many years during those important developmental years. In all sorts of ways. We were trying to understand those different contexts. So it's not a unique study but it has some very unusual attributes to it and we have learned an incredible amount from those kids and their parents from all the research that's been done. So we definitely want them to feel like they are valued so much by by us and you know we really want them to participate.

The NC Life Study is trying to see how these folks are doing, how their health is, how their general well-being is and to connect the experiences they talked about during their adolescence to how they're doing now. Also, to identify factors and conditions and institutions that could help improve well-being. There's a real interest in trying to identify community institutions that are helping build resilience in the sense that they are lessening the impact of adverse conditions.

You can email info@nclifestudy.com anytime.

You should receive your gift card within one week of completing the survey. Make sure to check your spam folder. If you do not receive your gift card within one week of completing the survey, email info@nclifestudy.com.

The screener is the step to find out whether you are eligible to take the survey or not. If eligible, you will receive an email about the survey from our team. Once that survey is completed, you will receive $50 for your time. The survey takes about 45 minutes to complete.

Yes! If you are not eligible, but may know people who are, you can receive a $25 referral fee for sending eligible folks our way. You will receive a $25 gift card on your eligible referral has completed their survey.