2008 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Data and Documentation and Prevalence and Trends Tables Available
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC)
Behavioral Surveillance Branch is pleased to announce the release of
the 2008 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data and
documentation and prevalence and trends tables.
The BRFSS is a unique, state-based surveillance system active in all
50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U. S. Virgin
Islands, and Guam. Information on health risk behaviors, clinical
preventive health practices, and health care access (primarily related
to chronic disease and injury) is obtained from a representative sample
of noninstitutionalized adults aged 18 years and older in each
state. The BRFSS provides flexible, timely, and ongoing data collection
that allows for state-to-state and state-to-nation
comparisons. State-specific data including racial-and-ethnic-specific
data from the BRFSS provide a sound basis for developing and evaluating
public health programs, including programs targeted to reduce racial
and ethnic disparities in health risks. The BRFSS is the largest
telephone-based surveillance system in the world, with more than
400,000 interviews conducted in 2008.