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Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)

About the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)
BRFSS Web site:  http://www.cdc.gov/brfss

Description of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)

The BRFSS, the world’s largest telephone survey, tracks health risks in the United States. Information from the survey is used to improve the health of the American people.  The BRFSS surveys adults aged 18 and older in the civilian, non-institutionalized population.  The survey uses a complex sample survey design.  Statistical software with the ability to account for this design is necessary for analysis.  SAS and SUDAAN both have this functionality.  

BRFSS releases a data set each year.  Oral health data from BRFSS are available for every state in the years 1999, 2002 and 2004. 

Oral health data are available in other years from 1995 to present, for states that chose to use the optional module.  (See list of states with data in each year.) 

The oral health questions asked in the core questionnaire or optional module changed over time.  (See Table of oral health questions asked in each year.)

States may also add state-added questions. Currently there is no central repository of state-added questions.  CDC does not edit or evaluate state-added questions.  For information about state-added questions contact the state dental director or the state BRFSS coordinator. 

To learn more about the BRFSS and to find a list of state BRFSS coordinators, visit the BRFSS Web site http://www.cdc.gov/brfss.  To find documentation and download data sets, follow the links to "Data Files and Technical Info".

The Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors maintains a list of state dental directors on its Web site: http://www.astdd.org.