Glossary:

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)
http://www.schs.state.nc.us/SCHS/about/programs/brfss/index.html

The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is a random telephone survey of state residents aged 18 and older in households with telephones. BRFSS was initially developed in the early 1980s by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in collaboration with state health departments and is currently conducted in all 50 states. North Carolina has participated since 1987. Information is collected throughout the year in a routine, standardized manner at the state level on a variety of health behaviors and preventive health practices related to the leading causes of death and disability such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and injuries. BRFSS data are analyzed annually on a calendar-year basis. Each March the previous year’s data is made available online.

Comments:

BRFSS provides comprehensive information on a wide variety of risk factors, but not all WNC counties are surveyed (the state will only survey geographic units that have a population of 100,000 or more). Data about Buncombe County is available each year, and 2002 data is available about Henderson-Transylvania. Starting with 2003, data will be available on MAHEC’s 16-county region as a whole. Note that the BRFSS site reports data on a geographical area called “Western North Carolina,” but that includes the western half of the state (excluding counties reported separately such as Buncombe).

Directions for finding the following data:

Click on 2002 Annual Survey Results, then on the geographic area you want to review, then on the topic area you want to review, and finally the specific question you’re interested in.

• 2002 data includes questions on Health Status, Health Care Access, Exercise, Fruits and Vegetables, Asthma, Diabetes, Oral Health, Immunization, Tobacco Use, Alcohol Consumption, Seat Belts, Family Planning, Women's Health, Prostate Cancer Screening, Colorectal Cancer Screening, HIV/AIDS, Firearms. Demographic breakdown/ populations, Healthy Days, Adult Asthma History, Childhood, Asthma, Arthritis, Physical Activity, Weight Control, Tobacco Indicators, Diabetes Counseling, Physical Activity, Cancer Prevalence, Disability, Routine Checkup, Sexual Assault/Physical Violence, Reaction to Race.
• Demographic breakdown/ populations: Broken down by gender, race (white vs. other), age (18-44 vs. 45+), education, and household income.
• Political unit(s): Buncombe, Henderson-Transylvania, other municipalities, western and eastern halves of NC, NC.