Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)

Last Updated: May 24, 2018

Definition - What does Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) mean?

The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is the longest running survey in the world. It is a nation-wide network of surveys from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that collect information from residents about pre-existing health conditions and risk behaviors. The intention of conducting the surveys is to identify new health issues that exist and to assist in the establishment and assessment of public and private health programs or policies.

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WorkplaceTesting explains Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)

The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention started in 1984 and are funded by the federal government. It consists of surveys that are conducted by telephone interviewers across all 50 states, achieving over 400,000 interviews annually. Participants for the survey are selected at random and participation is entirely voluntary. The information that is gathered is treated anonymously so the data cannot be linked to an individual. These surveys help to identify nationwide and localized growing health concerns more quickly than other methods such as doctors noticing enough patients with similar issues to report the increase.