RESEARCH - Results of US health-risk surveillance system reported

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Results of US Health-Risk Surveillance System Reported

From Medscape Medical News

Laurie Barclay, MD

February 5, 2010 — Results from January 2007 to December 2007 from the

Behavioral Risk Surveillance System (BRFSS), an ongoing telephone

survey of US adults on health-risk behaviors and the use of

preventative healthcare services related to the leading causes of

death and disability in the United States, were reported in the

February 5 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report .

" Chronic diseases (e.g., heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes)

are the leading causes of death in the United States, " write Pranesh

Chowdhury, MBBS, MPH, from the National Center for Chronic Disease

Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention, and colleagues. " Controlling health risk behaviors (e.g.,

smoking, physical inactivity, poor diet, and excessive drinking) and

using preventive health-care services (e.g., cancer, hypertension, and

cholesterol screenings) can reduce morbidity and mortality from

chronic diseases. Monitoring health-risk behaviors, chronic health

conditions, and preventive care practices is essential to develop

health promotion activities, intervention programs, and health

policies at the state, city, and county levels. "

BRFSS is a state-based, random-digit-dialed household telephone survey

of noninstitutionalized persons 18 years or older who live in the

United States. In addition to reporting 2007 findings for all 50

states, the article also includes data from the District of Columbia,

the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, 184

metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas (MMSAs), and 298

counties.

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Read the full article here:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/716533

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