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Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)

Overview

Within this page you will learn about the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and how NIOSH has used the BRFSS survey to gain knowledge about worker health. By viewing the BRFSS data, you can also learn more about prevalence of important health behaviors and outcomes, and access to health care among various industry and occupation groups.

What Is the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)?

BRFSS collects state-specific data on preventive health practices and risk behaviors linked to chronic diseases, injuries, and preventable infectious diseases that affect adults. It is a collaborative program conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in which all 50 states, 3 U.S. territories and the District of Columbia participate.  BRFSS data are collected annually through a random-digit-dialed telephone (landline and cell) survey. Survey respondents are non-institutionalized adults (18 years or older) living in the U.S.

Using BRFSS to Assess Workers' Health

The BRFSS survey contains a standard set of core questions asked by every state; however, states can elect to include questions from optional modules on specific topics, as well as state-added questions. To collect important demographic information for employed adults, the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) sponsored the BRFSS industry and occupation (I&O) optional module for years 2013–2017. Participants who were employed for wages, self-employed, or out of work for less than one year at the time of their interview were defined as “employed” and were asked these two I&O questions:

  • Industry:
    • “What kind of business or industry do you work in, for example, hospital, elementary school, clothing manufacturing, restaurant?”
  • Occupation:
    • “What kind of work do you do, for example, registered nurse, janitor, cashier, auto mechanic?”

The workers surveyed included those who worked for small businesses and contractors, or were self-employed.  Participants’ responses were coded to 2002 U.S. Census Bureau industry and occupation numeric codes using the NIOSH Industry and Occupation Computerized Coding System and human coders. For these analyses, the Census codes were grouped into the 21 North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS, 2002) sectors and 23 Standard Occupation Classification (SOC, 2000) major groups. Branches of the U.S. armed forces were excluded from analyses because the BRFSS data are not representative for active duty military.

Learn more about data collection and coding

BRFSS Interviewers: Tips for Obtaining Good Industry and Occupation Information, NIOSH BRFSS I&O Project. February 2015.

BRFSS Data Description

The following details the states participating in the I&O module in 2013 and 2014 and describes the study population used for the data tables.

2013 Data

The following is a description of the data sources for the I&O optional module collected during the 2013 BRFSS.

  • In 2013, 19 states adopted the I&O optional module: California, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah, and Wisconsin.
  • Washington and Wyoming added I&O as state-added questions and gave CDC permission to include their data in the aggregate dataset.
    • Data Source: Washington State Department of Health, Center for Health Statistics, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, supported in part by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cooperative Agreement, U58/SO000047-1 through 3 (2011-2013).
    • Data Source: Wyoming Department of Health, Public Health Division, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, supported in part by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cooperative Agreement, U58/SO000016-1 through 3 (2011-2013).
  • 102,258 BRFSS participants were currently employed and considered for analyses.
  • Participants missing industry or occupation information were excluded from those analyses, respectively. Active duty military in non-military housing (not a representative sample of the military) or unpaid or retired workers who were inadvertently identified as employed were also excluded from analyses.
    Total excluded:
    • From industry analyses: 3,115 (3.0% of the sample)
    • From occupation analyses: 6,592 (6.4% of the sample)

2014 Data

  • In 2014, 25 states adopted the I&O optional module: Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Washington.
  • 104,885 BRFSS participants were currently employed and considered for analyses.
  • Participants missing industry or occupation information were excluded from those analyses, respectively. Active duty military in non-military housing (not a representative sample of the military) or unpaid or retired workers who were inadvertently identified as employed were also excluded from analyses.
    Total excluded:
    • From industry analyses: 2,969 (2.8% of the sample)
    • From occupation analyses: 6,634 (6.3% of the sample)

BRFSS Industry and Occupation Tables

Limitations

The BRFSS survey is cross-sectional, so it is not possible to make causal inferences. BRFSS responses are self-reported and, therefore, rely on the accuracy of a participant’s recall. The data used in this study were from an optional industry and occupation module not administered by every state so the results may not be nationally representative.

Publications and Related Resources

Websites

Journal Articles

State Reports

BRFSS Newsletter Articles

Presentations

Related Topics

Worker Health Surveillance

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