Welcome to the North Carolina BRFSS
Internet Catalog of State Surveys
California Health Interview Survey
The California Tobacco Surveys
Wisconsin Family Health Survey
Note: Following the links listed below will open a new browser window with the main web site for the survey. Just close that window to return to this list.
The California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) is a collaborative project of the UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) Center for Health Policy Research, the California Department of Health Services, and the Public Health Institute. The CHIS is the largest population-based state health survey in the country. In 2001, interviews were conducted in six languages (English, Spanish, Chinese-Mandarin and Cantonese dialects, Korean, Vietnamese, and Khmer), and results were generated for most California counties and for contiguous groupings of counties with smaller populations. The 2001 CHIS includes separate surveys of California populations in three age groups: (1) the state's adult population (persons 18 years of age and older); (2) the adolescent population (young people ages 12-17); and (3), children under the age of 12 including infants. Though the CHIS questionnaire is largely modeled after the National Health Interview Survey, many questions were adapted from other national and state surveys as well as individual research projects with a focus on population health. In the CHIS you will find questions on numerous public health topics, including physical and emotional health, continuity of health insurance coverage, firearm safety, women's health, family history of breast cancer, access to care and hospitalizations for chronic conditions, and child care arrangements. We recommend all viewers take a close look at the CHIS.
For this survey, the Ohio Department of Health contracted with The Gallup Organization to help design and administer the Ohio Family Health Survey (OFHS). The survey was launched in January, 1998; telephone data was collected on approximately 16,000 adults (age 18+) and about 6,000 children under age 18. In 2004, the survey was expanded to achieve responses from approximately 40,000 adults and 15,000 children. The primary purpose of the survey is to produce estimates for uninsured children and adults at the state and county level. The survey also examines factors such as health status, health risk behaviors, unmet health needs, and access to care. In the link above, we provide access to the methodology and questionnaire modules of the Ohio Family Health Survey. Here you will find some good questions on lack of health insurance coverage: "The last time (you) had health insurance, did any of (your) insurance plans cover ... Mental health services, Dental care, Vision services, Hearing services, Prescription medications?" or "The last time (you) had health insurance, did (your) employer offer health insurance to full-time and part-time employees or only to full time employees?" Given that the sampling and questionnaire format of the OFHS is different than the BRFSS, questions from the OFHS will generally require modification for inclusion in the BRFSS.
The objective of these surveys is to collect representative statewide data on cigarette smoking behavior, attitudes towards smoking, and media exposure to smoking, and use of tobacco products other than cigarettes, from adults and teenagers living in California. These surveys are mandated by state legislation and administered by the California Department of Health Services, Tobacco Control Section. Adult and youth surveys on attitudes and smoking behaviors are available in both English and Spanish. These surveys contain some very good questions on measuring the complexity of smoking behavior: for example, "What best describes your intentions regarding quitting? Would you say ... Never expect to quit, May quit in the future, but not in the next 6 months, Will quit in the next 6 months, or Will quit in the next month?" or "Are you worried about how much money you spend on cigarettes?" For those who wish to develop or sponsor a special BRFSS module on smoking behaviors and attitudes, we recommend you start with a review of the California Tobacco Survey questionnaires.
The Wisconsin Family Health Survey (WFHS) is a phone survey designed to collect information on the health status, health problems, use of health care services, and health insurance coverage among Wisconsin residents. The WFHS was launched in 1989 and has been conducted continuously since then. The person in each household who knows the most about the health of all household members is the selected respondent, and answers all survey questions for him/herself as well as for all other household members. Typically this results in approximately 70 percent of the respondents being women. This method of respondent selection is, of course, different from the BRFSS, wherein any household adult (age 18+) is eligible for selection.
We include the WFHS for its simple approach to assessing family health, and the possibility that some WFHS questions could be adapted to the BRFSS. Here's a sample question from the survey: "Does the health of any of the adults in your household keep them from working at a job, doing work around the house, or going to school?" This type of question could be adapted to the BRFSS Survey with an additional question, which determines the level of the BRFSS respondent's knowledge of the health of other family members.