Roy Cameron ^1*, Stephen Manske ¹, K. Stephen Brown ², Mari Alice Jolin ², Donna Murnaghan ³, Chris Lovato ⁴

¹ Centre for Behavioural Research and Program Evaluation
² University of Waterloo
³ University of Prince Edward Island
⁴ University of British Columbia

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: cameron{at}healthy.uwaterloo.ca.

	Abstract

The Canadian Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute of Canada have charged their Centre for Behavioral Research and Program Evaluation with contributing to the development of the country’s systemic capacity to link research, policy, and practice related to population-level interventions. Local data collection and feedback systems are integral to this capacity. Canada’s School Health Action Planning and Evaluation System (SHAPES) allows data to be collected from all of a school’s students, and these data are used to produce computer-generated school "health profiles."

SHAPES is being used for intervention planning, evaluation, surveillance, and research across Canada. Strong demand and multipartner investment suggest that SHAPES is adding value in all of these domains. Such systems can contribute substantially to evidence-informed public health practice, public engagement, participatory action research, and relevant, timely population intervention research.

Key Words: School Health, Health Promotion, Public Health Practice, Surveillance, Surveys, Tobacco

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