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A new initiative between the HHS Office of Minority Health (OMH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will provide an improved understanding of the health status of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. Through the 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), the CDC will conduct additional interviews in 11 states that have a higher proportion of American Indians and Alaska Natives.
The states that have chosen to be included in the survey are:
This project represents a unique opportunity to better understand the current health needs of the American Indian/Alaska Native population. It will also provide local, state and federal health centers critical information that will help improve public health. Information collected from the surveys in the OMH-CDC partnership will help:
The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System or BRFSS is a nationwide system of telephone surveys that collect state data about behaviors that affects people’s health, chronic health conditions, and use of preventive services. The BRFSS was established in 1984 with 15 states. It now collects data in all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia and three U.S. territories. By collecting this information at the state and local level, BRFSS has become a powerful tool for building targeted health promotion activities. For more information visit: www.cdc.gov/brfss.
There are many different types of questions in the survey, but all states ask questions on demographic characteristics and current health behaviors, such as tobacco use and seatbelt use. A list of the BRFSS 2015 survey questions can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/brfss/annual_data/annual_2015.html .
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Learn more about how the HHS Office of Minority Health and the CDC are working to improve the health data of AI/AN communities through the BRFSS Oversampling Study. Get the details at: bit.ly/AIANhealthsurvey
A new initiative between the HHS Office of Minority Health and the CDC will provide an improved understanding of the health status of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. Learn more and download resources to share: bit.ly/AIANhealthsurvey
DYK? Thanks to a partnership with HHS Office of Minority Health and the CDC, the CDC’s 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System will include additional interviews in 11 states that have a higher proportion of American Indians and Alaska Natives. The goal of this initiative is to improve the health data of the AI/AN population. Learn more and help us spread the word: bit.ly/AIANhealthsurvey
Help us share resources with AI/AN communities to promote the BRFSS Oversampling Study. The goal of this joint HHS Office of Minority Health/CDC initiative is to improve the health data of the AI/AN population. Download outreach materials at: bit.ly/AIANhealthsurvey
Help us spread the word! Download and share outreach materials related to the BRFSS Oversampling Study. This initiative from the HHS Office of Minority Health and the CDC aims to improve health data of AI/AN communities. Learn more at: bit.ly/AIANhealthsurvey
Learn how @MinorityHealth and CDC's #BRFSS aim to improve the health data of AI/AN communities; bit.ly/AIANhealthsurvey
Help @MinorityHealth and @BRFFS spread the word about the CDC's #BRFSS Oversampling Study. Learn more: bit.ly/AIANhealthsurvey
DYK @MinorityHealth is working with @BRFSS to conduct more surveys of AI/AN populations in 11 states. bit.ly/AIANhealthsurvey
Help us share resources with AI/AN communities to promote the #BRFSS Oversampling Study. More info: bit.ly/AIANhealthsurvey
A new initiative from @MinorityHealth and @BRFSS aims to improve data collection for AI/AN communities. Learn more: bit.ly/AIANhealthsurvey
Help us spread the word! The #BRFSS Oversampling Study is important to the health of AI/AN communities. Find out more: bit.ly/AIANhealthsurvey
Due to small sample sizes among American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN), health data has typically been absent from reports citing national health statistics of this population. To better understand the health status of AI/AN populations, the HHS Office of Minority Health (OMH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will enhance a Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey by conducting an oversampling in 11 states with a higher population of AI/AN individuals. Below are a few questions that provide basic information about this initiative.
Which states are included in the BRFSS oversampling study?
The states that have chosen to participate in the oversampling are: Alaska, Arizona, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
When will the BRFSS AI/AN Oversampling start?
The survey was launched earlier this year and is conducted by each state Department of Health. It will run through December 31, 2017.
Who will be surveyed and how?
Adults over 18 years old will be surveyed. Phone numbers are chosen using a multimode approach that includes random digit dial landlines and cell phones. It takes less than 30 minutes to answer the survey and all information provided is confidential.
What types of questions will be asked?
There are many different types of questions in the survey, but all states ask questions based on demographic characteristics, such as gender and age, and current health behaviors, such as tobacco and seatbelt use. The content of the questionnaire was developed jointly by CDC & state public health representatives. A list of the BRFSS survey questions can be found on the CDC website: https://www.cdc.gov/brfss/questionnaires/index.htm.
Why is this important and what can you do to help?
This initiative will improve the health data of Native communities, which will help inform the planning for present and future health programs. You can help by sharing information about this initiative with your Native community and by encouraging others to respond to the survey if they get a call from their state Department of Health. Be sure to visit the OMH website to obtain outreach resources.
For more information or questions regarding this oversampling study, and to obtain additional resources please visit: bitly.com/AIANhealthsurvey or call the HHS Office of Minority Health at 240-453-2882.
For information by state and/or to contact your survey state coordinator, visit: https://www.cdc.gov/brfss/state_info/index.htm