Survey on Risk Behaviors

In April 2022, EPFL launched a survey on risk behaviors for Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD students. The initial findings will be published at the start of the 2022–23 academic year

This survey, running from 4 April to 4 May, asks respondents about their experiences of risk behaviors – alcohol and drug use and unprotected/non-consensual sexual practices – on and around campus.

EPFL will use the findings to improve and, if necessary, expand upon existing risk-prevention measures. The intent is not to cast judgment on respondents, but rather to understand how best to address risk behaviors and to provide those affected with support.

The survey will be repeated at regular intervals in order to understand how the situation is evolving.

The Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté) at Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) is conducting the survey and collecting the data on EPFL’s behalf. Unisanté will anonymize the data before forwarding them to EPFL. No personal information will be shared with the School.

  1. While members of the EPFL community are under no obligation to take part in the surveys, participation is strongly encouraged in order to produce the most representative picture possible.
  2. The Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté) at Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) will conduct the two surveys and collect the data on EPFL’s behalf.
  3. Unisanté will anonymize the data before forwarding them to EPFL. No personal information will be shared with the School.
  4. Data will then be analyzed at the EPFL Teaching Support Center in the summer of 2022.
  5. The survey will be repeated periodically in order to understand how the situation is evolving.
  6. A report on the results of the survey will be available to the EPFL community once the analysis is completed.
  • The survey is anonymous. Unisanté will treat respondents’ information in strict confidence and will never link their names or email addresses to their answers.
  • Unisanté will review respondents’ free-response answers to make sure they do not contain identifiable information on specific people.
  • Any identifying information from respondents’ devices will be deleted before their data reaches EPFL.
  • The file containing respondents’ email addresses will be destroyed at the end of the data-collection stage, along with any variables that could be used to identify a respondent by name.
  • Unisanté will retain the raw data on its server for 10 years or until EPFL requests that the data be deleted, whichever comes first.

The topics covered by the survey were discussed and approved by the EPFL working group and steering committee, whose members include subject-matter experts and representatives of the School and of the Bachelor’s/Master’s and PhD student communities. The questionnaire is based on tried-and-tested survey instruments, including:

  • C-SURF (Cohort Study on Substance Use Risk Factors)
  • SMASH 2002 (Swiss Multicenter Adolescent Survey on Health 2002)
  • WHO-5 (Five-Item World Health Organization Well-Being Index)

Where to go for help and support

Contact details