February 24, 2009
Public Health Survey Under Way in Montana
About 6,000 Montanans will be asked this year to participate in a Department of Public Health and Human Services annual telephone survey used to collect data on current health and health-risk behaviors and developing health trends among state residents.
The Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey includes 165 questions and takes about 18 to 20 minutes to complete, said BRFSS director Dr. Joanne Oreskovich said.
The survey asks Montanans about the status of their health, their access to health care, their use of preventive services, and their knowledge of and attitudes toward health care and health care practices. Recent reports on alcohol consumption patterns, smoking behaviors, nutrition and physical activity are examples of the kind of information the survey generates.
The information will also be compared to other states in the nation. DPHHS conducts the survey in collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The survey is the primary source of state and national information about health-related behavior. Federal and state public health officials use the survey data to develop health policies and legislation, as well as public awareness strategies.
“Some of the questions are very personal,” Oreskovich said. “But this survey can only be useful if we have the cooperation of the public. BRFSS is a critical source of up-to-date health-related behaviors in our state, and we depend on and appreciate the public's willingness to provide accurate health information.”
It’s the 25th year in a row the survey has been conducted in Montana and now adults in all 50 states, three U.S. territories and Washington, D.C., participate.
Oreskovich noted that survey participants are selected anonymously and at random, and all information they provide is kept strictly confidential. States use standard procedures to collect data through a series of monthly telephone interviews.
With over 460,000 interviews conducted nationwide annually, the BRFSS is the largest continual telephone survey conducted in the world, according to the CDC. Montana has participated since its inception in 1984. “In fact, Montana is among a select few that have participated for 25 straight years,” Oreskovich said.
Recognizing the value of the survey, Canada, Australia, Russia, and many other countries have asked the CDC to help them establish similar health surveillance systems for their own populations.
More information about the BRFSS survey is available at the DPHHS website, http://brfss.mt.gov or the CDC website, www.cdc.gov/brfss, or by contacting Dr. Oreskovich at 444-2973 or joreskovich@mt.gov.
Page last updated: 02/01/2012
