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Clallam County Health & Human Services 2003-2004
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Survey
Background of BRFSS
The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) was developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 1984 as a method of collecting state-specific information on personal health behaviors related to several leading causes of death. The BRFSS questionnaire is designed to include a core set of questions used by all states and an additional set sponsored by each state that may be derived from optional modules developed by CDC or other appropriate sources. By 1994, all states, the District of Columbia and 3 territories were participating in BRFSS. Washington State has been participating in the BRFSS since 1987 and many local health jurisdictions and several tribal authorities in Washington State have also implemented local BRFSS surveys in recent years. Clallam County completed a BRFSS in 1998 using the Washington State Department of Health BRFSS questionnaire.
Format for Collecting Data
The BRFSS uses telephone surveys to collect data. Adults (people aged 18 years and older) who live in households having a telephone are randomly selected for an interview. Calls are made 7 days a week during both the daytime and evening. Gilmore Research Group – the contractor that administers all BRFSS surveys in Washington State – conducted the 2003-2004 Clallam County BRFSS, using a computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) software program.
Limitations
The BRFSS relies on information reported directly by the respondent. As such, this self-reported data may be subject to errors. The manner in which questions are worded and the ability of individuals to recall details may result in inaccuracies. Additionally, the BRFSS can only be conducted on people living in households with telephones. The analysis of BRFSS data in the 2003-2004 Clallam County survey may also be limited by sample size. The minimum number of respondents needed in a geographic region to make solid estimates on health behaviors is six hundred. Categories within questions with fewer than 50 responses are not analyzable.
Surveying Design
Three different questionnaires were administered to Clallam County adults as part of the 2003-2004 BRFSS survey for a total of 913 completed surveys. The 2003 Washington State BRFSS used two separate questionnaires (Form A and Form B) and sampling occurred from January to December 2003; CDC core topics are included on both forms. Form A includes state-added modules in addition to the CDC core topics; Form B includes CDC core topics and an extensive module on adult tobacco use. All Washington counties were sampled on both forms of the questionnaire. Clallam County Health and Human Services also administered a county-specific BRFSS survey from April 2003 to March 2004, which included some state modules and additional questions. |
