Tracking Chronic Disease and Risk Behavior Prevalence as Survey Participation Declines: Statistics From the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and Other National Surveys
2008

Tracking Chronic Disease and Risk Behavior Prevalence

publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Fahimi Mansour, Link Michael, Mokdad Ali, Schwartz Deborah, Levy Paul

Primary Institution: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Hypothesis

How does the decline in survey participation affect the quality of health estimates from the BRFSS compared to other national surveys?

Conclusion

The study found that while some estimates from BRFSS and other surveys were similar, significant differences were also observed, indicating varying data quality.

Supporting Evidence

  • BRFSS estimates were statistically similar to NHIS for 5 of 15 measures.
  • BRFSS estimates were statistically similar to NHANES for only 1 of 6 measures.
  • Many observed differences may have limited consequences for public health programs.

Takeaway

This study looked at how fewer people answering health surveys might change the results, and it found that some results were similar while others were not.

Methodology

The study compared health estimates from BRFSS with those from NHIS and NHANES using statistical tests and point estimates.

Potential Biases

Differences in survey design and administration may introduce bias in the estimates.

Limitations

The study may not account for all factors affecting survey response rates and data quality.

Participant Demographics

The study included various demographic groups based on age, sex, and race/ethnicity.

Statistical Information

P-Value

<0.001

Confidence Interval

95% CI

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

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