By Maggie Carery
WKTV Contributor
Starting in mid April, Kent County residents will be receiving phone calls asking for participation in the Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance Systems (BRFSS) survey. The University of Missouri’s Health and Behavioral Risk Research Center will be conducting the survey and phone calls on behalf of the Kent County Health Department (KCHD).
The Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance Systems (BRFSS) survey is used to track the health of Kent County’s population and is conducted every three years at a local level. It is one of the nation’s largest telephone health-related surveys.
The Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance Systems (BRFSS) survey is run by the county to collect data on health conditions, various behaviors, and preventative health care practices. A behavior risk factor is an unhealthy behavior that can be changed or prevented for an individual or community. Some common examples include tobacco use, excessive alcohol intake, lack of exercise, and poor nutrition.
The survey contains a set of core questions that are asked to all participants and if needed, additional questions are added to obtain more localized data on health-related behaviors and risks directly in Kent County. This year, additional questions on mental health, economic stability, health care access, racism, firearm safety, and marijuana use were added to the survey.
Residents living in Kent County over the age of 18 are randomly chosen and reached via landline or cell phone. The survey is anonymous and no information collected can be traced back to the participant.
The county will then take the data received and analyze it by race, ethnicity, gender, education, income, and location to be used in the Kent County Community Health Needs Assessment and the Community Health Improvement Plan to help improve the health and well-being of Kent County residents.
To learn more about the survey visit www.accesskent.com/Health/BRFS, and if you have any questions feel free to reach out to CHNACHIP@kentcountymi.gov.
