Survey Instrument
The study was approved by the UNH Institutional Review
Board. The survey was comprised of various question types
including multiple-answer, open-ended, matched responses,
and Likert-scale questions. The survey for LHD
directors was comprised of 33 questions, organized into
five sections: (1) demographic and general information; (2)
presence and extent of a partnership with academia; (3)
barriers to the establishment of an academic-LHD partnership;
(4) specific collaborative efforts and support of
essential public health services; and (5) perceived public
health threats facing local communities in the twenty first
century.