Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) 2015

Investigators: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is the nation's premier system of health-related telephone surveys that collect state data about U.S. residents regarding their health-related risk behaviors, chronic health conditions, and use of preventive services. Established in 1984 with 15 states, BRFSS now collects data in all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia and three U.S. territories. BRFSS completes more than 400,000 adult interviews each year, making it the largest continuously conducted health survey system in the world. By collecting behavioral health risk data at the state and local level, BRFSS has become a powerful tool for targeting and building health promotion activities. As a result, BRFSS users have increasingly demanded more data and asked for more questions on the survey. Currently, there is a wide sponsorship of the BRFSS survey, including most divisions in the CDC National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion; other CDC centers; and 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. The BRFSS objective is to collect uniform, state-specific data on preventive health practices and risk behaviors that are linked to chronic diseases, injuries, and preventable infectious diseases that affect the adult population. Factors assessed by the BRFSS in 2015 include tobacco use, HIV/AIDS knowledge and prevention, exercise, immunization, health status, healthy days, health-related quality of life, health care access, hypertension awareness, arthritis burden, chronic health conditions, alcohol consumption, fruits and vegetables, and seatbelt use. Since 2011, the BRFSS conducts both landline telephone- and cellular telephone-based surveys. In conducting the BRFSS landline telephone survey, interviewers collect data from a randomly selected adult in a household. In conducting the cellular telephone version of the BRFSS questionnaire, interviewers collect data from an adult who participates by using a cellular telephone and resides in a private residence or college housing.

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) 2016

Investigators: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is the nation's premier system of health-related telephone surveys that collect state data about U.S. residents regarding their health-related risk behaviors, chronic health conditions, and use of preventive services. Established in 1984 with 15 states, BRFSS now collects data in all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia and three U.S. territories. BRFSS completes more than 400,000 adult interviews each year, making it the largest continuously conducted health survey system in the world. By collecting behavioral health risk data at the state and local level, BRFSS has become a powerful tool for targeting and building health promotion activities. As a result, BRFSS users have increasingly demanded more data and asked for more questions on the survey. Currently, there is a wide sponsorship of the BRFSS survey, including most divisions in the CDC National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion; other CDC centers; and 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. The BRFSS objective is to collect uniform, state-specific data on preventive health practices and risk behaviors that are linked to chronic diseases, injuries, and preventable infectious diseases that affect the adult population. Factors assessed by the BRFSS in 2016 include health status, healthy days, health-related quality of life, health care access, exercise, inadequate sleep, chronic health conditions, oral health, tobacco use, e-cigarettes, alcohol consumption, immunization, falls, seat belt use, drinking and driving, breast- and cervical cancer screening, prostate cancer screening, colorectal cancer screening, and HIV/AIDS knowledge. Since 2011, the BRFSS conducts both landline telephone- and cellular telephone-based surveys. In conducting the BRFSS landline telephone survey, interviewers collect data from a randomly selected adult in a household. In conducting the cellular telephone version of the BRFSS questionnaire, interviewers collect data from an adult who participates by using a cellular telephone and resides in a private residence or college housing.

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), 1999

Investigators: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is a collaborative project of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and U.S. states and territories. BRFSS, administered and supported by the Behavioral Surveillance Branch (BSB) of the CDC, is an on-going data collection program designed to measure behavioral risk factors in the adult population 18 years of age or over living in households. The BRFSS was initiated in 1984, with 15 states collecting surveillance data on risk behaviors through monthly telephone interviews. The number of states participating in the survey increased, so that by 1999, 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands were participating in the BRFSS. The objective of the BRFSS is to collect uniform, state-specific data on preventive health practices and risk behaviors that are linked to chronic diseases, injuries, and preventable infectious diseases in the adult population. Factors assessed by the BRFSS include tobacco use, general health status, health care coverage, HIV/AIDS, and use of cancer screening services, among others. Data are collected from a random sample of adults (one per household) through a telephone survey. This dataset contains observations from only those states that participated in the "Sexual Behavior" modules, which included questions on HIV/AIDS. PETRA 08 is comprised of cases from Delaware, Florida, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Vermont.

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), 2000

Investigators: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is a collaborative project of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and U.S. states and territories. The BRFSS, administered and supported by the Behavioral Surveillance Branch (BSB) of the CDC, is an on-going data collection program designed to measure behavioral risk factors in the adult population 18 years of age or over living in households. The BRFSS was initiated in 1984, with 15 states collecting surveillance data on risk behaviors through monthly telephone interviews. The number of states participating in the survey increased, so that by 2000, 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands were participating in the BRFSS. The objective of the BRFSS is to collect uniform, state-specific data on preventive health practices and risk behaviors that are linked to chronic diseases, injuries, and preventable infectious diseases in the adult population. Factors assessed by the BRFSS include tobacco use, general health status, health care coverage, HIV/AIDS, and physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption. Data are collected from a random sample of adults (one per household) through a telephone survey. This dataset contains observations from only those states that participated in the "Sexual Behavior" modules, which included questions on HIV/AIDS. PETRA 09 is comprised of cases from Florida, Montana, and Ohio.

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), 2001

Investigators: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is a collaborative project of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and U.S. states and territories. The BRFSS, administered and supported by the Behavioral Surveillance Branch (BSB) of the CDC, is an on-going data collection program designed to measure behavioral risk factors in the adult population 18 years of age or over living in households. The BRFSS was initiated in 1984, with 15 states collecting surveillance data on risk behaviors through monthly telephone interviews. The number of states participating in the survey increased, so that by 2001, 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands were participating in the BRFSS. The objective of the BRFSS is to collect uniform, state-specific data on preventive health practices and risk behaviors that are linked to chronic diseases, injuries, and preventable infectious diseases in the adult population. Factors assessed by the BRFSS include tobacco use, health care coverage, HIV/AIDS knowledge and prevention, physical activity, and fruit and vegetable consumption. Data are collected from a random sample of adults (one per household) through a telephone survey. This dataset contains observations from only those states that participated in the "Sexual Behavior" modules, which included questions on HIV/AIDS. PETRA 10 is comprised of cases from Delaware and New Jersey.

Birthweights of Infants Born in the Years 1970-1975 to Adolescent and Young Adult Women in Magee-Women's Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA

Investigators: Isabelle L. Horon, Donna M. Strobino, and Hugh MacDonald

This study involves a comparison of two groups each consisting of 422 primigravid mothers and their infants. The purpose of the research was to determine if adolescent women under the age of 16 had lower birthweight infants than women aged 20 to 24. The study found no basic differences in infant birthweight based upon the age of the mother. However, it did find infant birthweight differences related to other demographic factors. Those women who were white and those who had more economic buying power had infants with higher birthweights. Gestational age, pregnancy weight, weight change during pregnancy, and number of antepartum clinic visits were also associated with higher birth weight infants.

Boston City Hospital Maternal Health Habits Project, 1984-87

Investigators: Barry Zuckerman, Ralph Hingson, Deborah Frank and Hortensia Amaro

The 1984-87 Boston City Hospital Maternal Health Habits Project was conducted as part of an ongoing study of maternal health behaviors, psychosocial characteristics, and pregnancy outcomes. The study was designed to investigate the effects on infants of various prenatal factors, including the use of alcohol, cigarettes, and illicit drugs; violence; emotional well-being; social support; and life experiences. Subjects were continuously recruited from the Women's and Adolescent Prenatal Clinics of Boston City Hospital from July 1984 through June 1987. English- and Spanish-speaking women who were willing to give informed consent and who gave birth by December 31, 1987 were eligible to participate in the study. Participants were interviewed at least twice — once during the prenatal period at the time of registration in the study and again during the immediate postpartum period. A subset of the participants were also interviewed at 32 to 36 weeks into the pregnancy. Prenatal and postpartum interviews obtained information on patterns of use of cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, and psychoactive drugs; participants' demographic and psychosocial characteristics; and participants' reproductive and general medical histories. Also, at the time of interviews, participants submitted urine samples to be used for drug testing. After delivery, information documenting reproductive and medical histories, prenatal and intrapartum risk factors, and weight gain during pregnancy was abstracted from mothers' medical records. Infants were examined within 8 to 72 hours of delivery by a physician who was blinded to the mothers' prenatal histories.

Boston City Hospital Study on Neonatal Outcome, 1977-1979

Investigators: Barry Zuckerman & Suzette Levenson

A study of maternal health and fetal development at Boston City Hospital provided an opportunity to explore whether infants born to adolescents exhibit poorer outcomes at birth than infants born to nonadolescents, and if the outcomes are poorer, whether adolescent status or other health habits or life situations are more predictive of those outcomes. This study was set up to assess whether adolescent and nonadolescent mothers varied on numerous maternal characteristics, labor and delivery events, and neonatal outcome measures. Outcome variables examined included length of gestation, infant size at delivery, and Apgar scores. The independent variables were: drug use (never, prepregnancy, or during pregnancy), prepregnancy weight, number of previous pregnancies, religious affiliation, race, history of prior maternal illnesses (e.g., hypertension, diabetes), number of miscarriages and abortions, risk factors (e.g., toxemia, epilepsy, anemia, accidents) during pregnancy, weight change during pregnancy, time of first prenatal visit (first, second, or third trimesters, or no prenatal care), daily coffee consumption, x-ray exposure during pregnancy, number of cigarettes smoked per day during pregnancy, marijuana use (never, prepregnancy, pre- and during pregnancy), education, number of meals per day, sex of infant, alcohol consumption (average daily drinks) prior to pregnancy and during pregnancy separately, and iron use. Additional variables include: whether the mother had premature rupture of the membrane, a Cesarian section, meconiumstained fluid, oxytocin (Pitocin)-induced labor, medications during labor, use and route of anesthesia, maternal fever, whether the infant had an abnormal presentation, or abnormal placenta, nuchal cord, decelerations, intubation, and forceps extraction. Further data on infant status, including congenital malformations and weight at birth, were also added.

Brother to Brother

Investigators: John L. Peterson, Thomas J. Coates, Joseph Catania, Walter W. Hauck, Michael Acree, Dennis Daigle, Bobby Hillard, Lee Middleton, & Norman Hearst

Brother to Brother is a three-session behavioral intervention aimed at reducing HIV infection among African-American gay and bisexual men. Sessions are designed to foster positive identity development, educate participants about HIV/AIDS risk, teach assertiveness, and encourage the sharing of commitments and strategies for risk reduction among group members. Participants gain mastery through role-play, group discussion, and behavioral skills exercises. Click here to view more detailed information on this program.

California Adolescent Health Data Set 2013

Investigators: California Adolescent Health Collaborative

The California Adolescent Health Data Set is a collection of California-wide and county-specific data about the health status of adolescents. Data for each variable was extracted and compiled from public access databases, including vital and hospital records, administrative data, and statewide surveys. Some of the primary sources were the California Department of Finance, California Department of Public Health, California Department of Education, California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), and California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS). The raw data from these sources were collected and calculated in different ways. Data may be derived from population surveys (e.g., demographic numbers from the Census), medical records (e.g., injury data from hospital records), or representative sample surveys (e.g., measures of risk behaviors). To be included, data had to be available at the county level, collected over time and available for individuals within the age range of 10-24. In addition, data on each indicator had to provide a statistically stable population level estimate. For example, there may not be a sufficient number of survey respondents to calculate an accurate measure for the adolescent population in counties with small populations. In such cases, counties are grouped together. Where applicable, 95% confidence intervals are included for data points. The confidence intervals take into account error in measurement to provide a statistically accurate estimate of the possible range of values for a specific indicator. Adolescent health providers and professionals need data to inform their work, but data on adolescent health can be difficult or time consuming to retrieve. Therefore, the California Adolescent Health Data Set is designed to be accessible, practical, and easy to use for health department staff, providers, policy makers, community leaders, educators, and advocates. The California Adolescent Health Data Set is a resource for education, assessment and evaluation, program development or implementation, and advocacy.