Welcome to the National Children’s Study – San Diego County (NCS-SDC)

En Español

San Diego County is one of 37 National Children’s Study Vanguard locations in the United States. Established in 2007, the San Diego County Vanguard location is a partnership between the University of California, San Diego; San Diego State University; the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency; and the First 5 Commission of San Diego. Our location is part of the Southern and Central California Study Center, which is led by the University of California, Irvine.

San Diego is the third most populous county in California, with over 3 million residents. The County is quite large, stretching 65 miles from north to south and 86 miles from east to west. It borders Orange and Riverside Counties to the north, the agricultural communities of Imperial County to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and Mexico to the south. The County incorporates a mix of urban, suburban, and rural neighborhoods, and its geography varies from deserts to mountains to ocean beaches.

San Diego County is home to people who are diverse in their racial and/or ethnic heritage, their socioeconomic status, and their culture. Features such as our large military presence and our nearness to the U.S.-Mexico border make us different from many other counties that are participating in the National Children’s Study. Including San Diego County in the National Children’s Study will help to ensure that the Study represents all of America’s children.