Measuring Behaviors That Endanger Health

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
and
Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System

	See Also: • BRFSS At-A-Glance • YRBSS At-A-Glance • BRFSS Web Site • YRBSS Web Site

CDC measures the prevalence and incidence of behaviors that endanger health by surveying adults and young people. Through these surveys, we gain a wealth of knowledge. For example, we learn which diseases are most common, which diseases are increasing or decreasing, and which groups of people are at high risk for particular diseases. 

We focus in particular on gathering data on behaviors that lead to chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease—the nation’s leading killers. 

High-Risk Behaviors

Certain behaviors—often begun while young—put people at high risk for premature death, disability, or chronic diseases. The following are the most common such behaviors:

• Smoking and other forms of tobacco use.
• Eating high-fat and low-fiber foods.
• Not engaging in enough physical activity.
• Abusing alcohol or other drugs.
• Not availing of proven medical methods for preventing disease or diagnosing disease early (e.g., flu shots, Pap smears, mammograms, colonoscopies).
• Engaging in violent behavior or behavior that may cause unintentional injuries (e.g., driving while intoxicated). 

Uses for Data on High-Risk Behaviors

Armed with scientific survey data, CDC and other health professionals design programs to combat the effects of high-risk behaviors. Such programs have several functions: 

• They inform the public and health care professionals about the dangers of certain behaviors.
• They promote healthy behavior.
• They help people to stop engaging in risky behaviors. 

Survey data also help CDC and other public health organizations evaluate public health programs and ensure that they are on track toward achieving their objectives. 

Costs of High-Risk Behaviors

•  The medical costs for chronic diseases (most of which are caused by high-risk behaviors) account for 60% of the nation’s $1 trillion cost for medical care.
• The annual cost for diseases associated with obesity is $100 million; for diseases associated with physical inactivity, the cost in 2000 was $76 million.
• The annual medical costs related to tobacco use are at least $50 billion.

Effectiveness of Reducing High-Risk Behaviors

• Engaging in regular physical activity is associated with taking less medication, having fewer hospitalizations, and visiting physicians less often.
• In California, home to one of the longest-running programs to reduce tobacco use, declines in tobacco use resulted in 1) declines in the rates of lung cancer and heart disease and 2) declines in nonsmokers’ exposure to tobacco smoke.

 
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System

The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is the primary U.S. source of scientific data on adult risk behaviors. 

BRFSS, the largest continuous telephone survey in the world, is active in each U.S. state. 

The BRFSS monitors national and state trends in health-risk behaviors; it also monitors adult perceptions about the dangers of such behaviors. 

Each state can add questions to the BRFSS questionnaire, so each state can gather data on behaviors that are of particular interest to it.

Goals of the BRFSS

• To gather scientific data from each state on adult behaviors that endanger health.
• To provide researchers with these data so that they can design programs that will encourage adults to stop these behaviors.

Uses for BRFSS Data

• To determine which health-related issues need immediate attention and which groups of people are at highest risk.
• To educate the public, policy makers, and health care professionals about disease prevention.
• To support community policies that promote health and prevent disease.
• To compare health data among states and to compare state and national data.
• To show when a new health problem is emerging.
• To monitor the nation’s progress toward achieving the Healthy People 2010 objectives.

Examples of State BRFSS Activities

Arkansas: BRFSS data showed a link between physical inactivity and hypertension among African-American women and were used to design interventions and education programs specifically for these women. 

Illinois: BRFSS data were used to justify a law requiring that mammography screening be included in all health insurance coverage. 

Minnesota: BRFSS data were used to assess home exposure to toxins such as lead, asbestos, radon, and contaminated well water. 

New York: BRFSS data on the rates of consumption of whole milk were used to guide the state’s campaign to encourage people to drink low-fat milk. 

Utah: BRFSS data were used to study child-hood exposure to tobacco smoke and health insurance coverage for tobacco cessation.
 

 
Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System

Before the 1990s, little was known about the prevalence of young people’s risk behaviors. The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) was set up to obtain such information. 

Developed by CDC in collaboration with federal, state, and private partners, this voluntary surveillance system is a national survey conducted by state and local education and health agencies. 

Goal of the YRBSS

• To provide researchers and public health professionals with data about the health-risk behaviors of young people.
• To use the survey data as the basis for programs to help young people avoid or stop behavior that endangers their health now or when they are older.

Examples of State YRBSS Activities

New York City: YRBSS data on unintentional injuries led to the development of a program called “Safety Makes Sense.” 

Tennessee: State legislators used YRBSS data to support the Coordinated School Health Improvement Act, which supports a specific health education curriculum and coordinated school health programs. 

Washington, D.C.: YRBSS data were used to help obtain funding for a school health clinic. 

Wisconsin: YRBSS data were published in the state medical journal to tell physicians about issues related to adolescent health. 

Wyoming: YRBSS data were used to assess the implementation of health education standards.

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This page last reviewed August 10, 2004

United States Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion