Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System

Description: The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is the nation's premier system of health-related telephone surveys that collect state-level data from non-institutionalized U.S. adult residents regarding their health-related risk behaviors, chronic health conditions, and use of preventive services. Coordinated by the CDC and administered annually by each state, there are three categories of questions:

A standard set of core questions that each state is required to include in the survey.

Several modules of optional questions that each state can include or exclude based upon programmatic needs.

Customized questions drafted in-house by individual states to gather information on specific populations or to address state-specific health issues.

Additionally, BRFSS allows for geographic flexibility. Populations can be targeted at the state level or as fine as census tract level. The data are collected and analyzed with a standardized methodology developed by the CDC which allows Louisiana to validly compare our state estimates to those collected in any other state or to the US as a whole. BRFSS has become a powerful tool for allocation of funds that target and build successful health promotion activities.

This report presents results from the specified years of BRFSS for the state of Louisiana. All civilian, non-institutionalized state residents aged 18 and older with a household landline telephone are eligible for survey participation. Respondents were selected randomly from the sample of eligible individuals.

The primary purpose of the survey is to provide population-based estimates for chronic disease and the associated risk factors for Louisiana residents. The results of the survey are used by public health agencies, non-profit organizations, academic institutions, state agencies, and others to develop initiatives and pro-grams to improve the health of Louisiana residents.