The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is a telephone survey that collects state-level data about people who live in the United States. It began with 15 states in 1984, which makes it the longest-running survey system in the world, but has spread to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and three U.S. territories and conducts more than 400,000 adult interviews each year. This valuable tool tells us a lot about health risk behaviors at the state and local levels, helps target and build health promotion and disease prevention programs, and helps to guide legislative efforts in each state.
This valuable survey asks U.S. residents about their health-related risk behaviors and efforts, chronic health conditions, and use of preventive services. It also addresses important emerging health issues such as vaccine shortage and influenza-like illness. Each state uses a standardized rotating core questionnaire and optional modules are available. States are also able to add their own questions according to their needs. The rotating core questionnaire is available on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website at http://www.cdc.gov/brfss/questionnaires/index.htm. The rotating core is comprised of two different sets of questions that are asked in alternating years by all states. In the years that rotating core topics are not used, they are offered as optional modules. Adults 18 years or older are asked to take part in the BRFSS. Respondents are not compensated for their time, but they should know they are doing their part in helping to improve the health of people in their state and the nation. Until 2011, the survey was conducted via land lines using random digit dialing, but with the decrease in homes that have land lines the survey was expanded to include cell phones. Many different agencies sponsor the BRFSS. For example, most divisions within the CDC sponsor this important survey, as well as federal agencies such as the Health Resources and Services Administration, Administration on Aging, Department of Veterans Affairs, and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Other countries are catching on to the utility of the BRFSS and have requested technical assistance from the BRFSS staff. These countries are Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, Italy, Jordan, South Korea, Mexico, nations in the Caribbean, and Vietnam. The BRFSS in Nevada Nevada’s Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (CDPHP) Section’s overall goal is to improve quality of life and extend years of healthy living and the BRFSS has been an important source for monitoring health-related factors and evaluating the success of programs. The survey data are used to set program goals and monitor progress at the state and local levels in Nevada. In general, the BRFSS provides data for the CDPHP section to:
More specifically, the CDPHP uses BRFSS data to monitor and compare a program’s target populations in terms of their health conditions (cardiovascular disease, hypertension, high blood cholesterol levels, diabetes, overweight, obesity, and disability), risk factors (smoking, alcohol use, insufficient physical activity, and insufficient fruit/vegetable consumption), preventive services use (blood cholesterol checks, mammograms and Pap tests for women 40 years or older, colorectal cancer screening in individuals 50 years or older, and dental checkups), and access to health care (measured as any coverage of health insurance). In Nevada, we also use the BRFSS data to:
Want to know how Nevada compares on important health indicators? Find out CDC’s handy widget below!
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AuthorOPHIE records and analyzes data from disease investigations, identifies risk factors, and provides education on disease prevention in Nevada. Archives
November 2018
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