BRFSS Operations & History
In what year did the BRFSS begin collecting data?
1984
According to the survey guidelines, what is the minimum age required to participate in a BRFSS interview?
18 years old
In West Virginia's BRFSS reports, what percentage of adults report having difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions? (Closest guess wins)
18.8% (compared to a 13.5% national average)
True or False: According to recent national BRFSS rankings, West Virginia has the highest prevalence of adult obesity in the country.
True (The adult obesity rate sits at over 40.6%, putting the state at the top of national tracking charts).
True or False: The BRFSS collects data to determine how many adults are actively missing or avoiding necessary medical care due to its financial cost.
True
True or False: If a participant is busy when an interviewer calls, the interviewer will mark them as a refusal and never call back.
False. Interviewers use call disposition codes to schedule callbacks at more convenient times.
True or False: Participants must answer every question asked, or the survey is considered void.
False. The survey is entirely voluntary, and participants can skip any question they don't want to answer.
True or False: West Virginia ranks among the lowest in the nation for the prevalence of poor physical and mental health according to BRFSS data.
False. West Virginia actually ranked the highest among participants for the prevalence of poor physical health.
Excluding gestational or pre-diabetes, what percentage of West Virginia adults have been formally told by a health professional that they have diabetes? (Closest guess wins)
18.4% (This represents the highest baseline rate in the entire country).
According to survey guidelines, how often does the BRFSS recommend asking rotating-core questions regarding specific cancer screenings (like mammograms or colonoscopies)?
Every alternating year (These fall into the "Rotating Core" or optional modules).
Approximately how many total adult interviews does the BRFSS complete across the United States every year?
More than 400,000
Why did the CDC update the BRFSS methodology to include cell phone tracking alongside landlines?
To reach younger demographics and households that no longer own traditional landline phones.
According to state health rankings, what fraction of West Virginians report serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs?
More than one-fifth (20.9%
True or False: The BRFSS survey completely excludes tracking or asking about mental health status.
False (It heavily tracks indicators like "unhealthy mental health days" and doctor-diagnosed depression).
What preventative respiratory health measure does the BRFSS track annually by asking participants if they received a shot within the past 12 months?
The flu vaccination (or flu shot).
True or False: To protect privacy, BRFSS surveyors will never ask for a participant's last name or address.
True
What specific public health tool uses BRFSS data to look closely at health trends inside smaller local metropolitan counties?
SMART BRFSS (Selected Metropolitan/Micropolitan Area Risk Trends
True or False: West Virginia has a lower rate of adults with "No Personal Doctor" compared to the national average.
True. Only 13.3% of West Virginia adults lack a personal doctor, compared to 16.8% nationally.
West Virginia ranks highest in the nation for the adult use of what specific form of tobacco?
Smokeless tobacco (with an adult use rate of 8.8%)
In West Virginia's regional data tracking, what percentage of the adult population reports having fair or completely poor overall health? (Closest guess wins)
26.3%
What are the two distinct categories of questions required to be asked on every state's survey?
The Fixed Core and Emerging Core (or Optional Modules
What behavior does the BRFSS track by asking about a participant's typical use of vehicle safety restraints?
Seatbelt use
What are the top three leading causes of death in West Virginia tracked heavily by risk behaviors on the survey?
Heart disease, cancer, and accidents.
True or False: Cardiovascular issues are tracked by the BRFSS by asking if a participant has ever been told they had a heart attack, coronary heart disease, or a stroke.
True (These metrics help map the leading causes of death in the state)
True or False: While the survey tracks general health, it does not collect information regarding whether a participant has any form of health insurance.
False (Health care coverage and access are fundamental components of the standard questionnaire).