Background Information
The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is the world’s largest telephone survey. The BRFSS is a state-based, random-digit-dialed telephone survey of the noninstitutionalized civilian population 18 years of age and older. It is designed to monitor the prevalence of the major behavioral risks among adults associated with premature morbidity and mortality. Information from the survey is used to improve the health of the American people.
The BRFSS, which is administered and supported by Behavioral Surveillance Branch in the Division of Adult and Community Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is an ongoing data collection program. By 1995, all states, the District of Columbia, and three territories were participating in the BRFSS. CDC develops standard core questionnaires for states to use to provide data that can be compared across states. States can choose to add additional questions of their own and can also choose among a number of optional modules that cover specific topics in greater detail. More information about BRFSS can be found at: http://www.cdc.gov/brfss/.
Before 1999, several states included questions about asthma on their BRFSS questionnaire, but the wording of the questions varied among those states. In 1999, an optional two-question adult asthma module was added to the BRFSS, representing the first effort to systematically collect state-based asthma prevalence data. In 2000, the two questions were included in the core of the BRFSS questionnaire and were asked in all participating states and territories. The two adult asthma prevalence questions will be included in the BRFSS in future years as well. Beginning with 2001, two questions on child prevalence are available.
For each year of BRFSS asthma data, two asthma prevalence measures were constructed. Lifetime asthma is defined as an affirmative response to the question “Have you ever been told by a doctor {nurse or other health professional} that you have asthma?”. Current asthma is defined as an affirmative response to that question followed by an affirmative response to the subsequent question “Do you still have asthma?”
Responses to these two questions have been tabulated for various demographic groups. Technical information important to understanding the tables and maps is also provided.
