About BRFSS

The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is the nation’s premier system of health-related telephone surveys that collect state data about US residents regarding their health-related risk behaviors, chronic health conditions, health-care access, and use of preventive services. Established in 1984, BRFSS collects data in all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia and participating US territories. BRFSS completes more than 400,000 adult interviews each year, making it the largest continuously conducted telephone-based health survey system in the world.

By collecting behavioral health-risk data at the state and local level, BRFSS has become a powerful tool for customizing and planning health promotion activities. BRFSS is a go-to resource for health data scientists, researchers, other federal agencies, national health organizations, and state and local governments. In addition, countries across the globe have sought technical assistance from CDC to develop similar surveillance systems. BRFSS is also a data source for other tools and systems, such as CDC’s Population Level Analysis and Community Estimates (PLACES), CDC’s Chronic Disease Indicators, and Healthy People 2030.