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BRFSS Questionnaires

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Questionnaire Composition

The BRFSS questionnaire has three parts: (1) the Core component, (2) Optional modules, and (3) State-added questions. All states must ask the core component questions without modification in wording; however, the optional modules can be modified. Core sections are supported financially by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Optional modules or state-added questions are included on the questionnaire at a cost determined by the BRFSS Coordinator and Director and paid for by the requestor.

Core Components

  • Fixed Core: The fixed core is a standard set of questions asked by all states. It includes queries about current behaviors that affect health (e.g., tobacco use, women's health) and questions on demographic characteristics.
  • Rotating Core: The Rotating Core is made up of two distinct sets of questions, each asked in alternating years by all states, addressing different topics. In the years that rotating topics are not used in the core, they are supported as optional modules.
  • Emerging Core: The emerging core is a set of up to five questions that are added to the fixed and rotating cores. Emerging core questions typically focus on issues of a "late breaking" nature and do not necessarily receive the same scrutiny that other questions receive before being added to the instrument. These questions are part of the core for one year and are evaluated during or soon after the year concludes to determine their potential value in future surveys.

Optional Modules

Optional modules are sets of questions on specific topics (e.g., smokeless tobacco) that states elect to use on their questionnaires. Although the modules are optional, CDC standards require that, if the modules are used, they must be used without modification if they are to be analyzed and compared to the nation. Module topics have included survey items on oral health, cardiovascular disease, firearms, and other topics. If optional modules are altered, they are considered state-added questions.

State Added Questions

Requests for inclusion of additional data items, whether state-added questions or optional modules, are reviewed and acted on by the state BRFSS Coordinator in consultation with the state BRFSS Working Group and other entities as needed.

There are a number of criteria to be met in order to have questions added to the state section of the BRFSS survey. A written proposal must be submitted to the state BRFSS Coordinator typically in July of the year preceding the survey. Decisions regarding which questions or modules will be included in the survey will be made shortly thereafter by members of the state BRFSS Working Group. Final decisions are at the BRFSS Coordinator and BRFSS Director’s discretion based upon survey integrity.

If your agency or organization is interested in adding a question (or questions) to the BRFSS survey, contact the state BRFSS Coordinator to receive the criteria and procedures for submitting your proposal.  If you are interested in viewing what other states have added to their questionnaires on various topics, please see the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists which indexes state-added questions used throughout the nation on a voluntary basis.

Questionnaire Development

The BRFSS questionnaire goes through rigorous testing before its use. Federal agencies submit proposals to the Behavioral Sciences Branch (BSB) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with a clear rationale for the purpose of including questions in the core or optional module categories.

A national questionnaire review committee composed of a subgroup of state BRFSS coordinators reviews the proposals and makes recommendations to the submitting agencies for changes prior to the annual BRFSS conference where the final questionnaire changes are considered by all BRFSS coordinators and BSB staff.

Information-Gathering

Throughout the year, states select a random sample of persons age 18 and older for a telephone interview. This selection process results in a representative sample for each state so that statistical inferences can be made from the information collected and interventions can be directed to people at greatest risk

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention edits and processes data from each state's monthly interviews and then returns the weighted data set, selected prevalence information, and data quality reports to all states for their use at the end of the survey year. The state BRFSS Coordinator performs more complex analysis of the data including analysis of state-added questions for annual publications and various program data needs throughout state government and other agencies.

Montana BRFSS Questionnaires

The BRFSS questionnaires for Montana are available for viewing or downloading in PDF format by clicking on the year in which you are interested.

2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999