2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Oversampling Study in American Indian and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) populations

This year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) kicked off the 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Oversampling Study (BRFSS), a new initiative from the HHS Office of Minority Health (OMH) and the CDC. This phone survey aims to increase understanding of health-related risk behaviors, chronic health conditions, access to care and use of preventive services in American Indian and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) populations.

The states participating in the oversampling study are: Alaska, Arizona, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

Each state asks questions based on demographic characteristics (e.g., gender and age) and current health behaviors, such as tobacco and seat belt use. It takes less than 30 minutes to answer the phone survey and all information collected is confidential.

OMH wants to promote awareness of and participation in this initiative and asks your help to inform Native communities about this project by sharing this announcement with tribes, Native organizations, and American Indians and Alaska Natives living in these states. OMH has developed a series of resources to help promote this project and to encourage American Indians and Alaska Natives to respond to the survey if they get a call from their State Health Department. 

Be sure to visit the OMH website to obtain outreach resources such as info cards, downloadable posters, and a newsletter drop-in article and share with your networks and through your communications channels. For more information, please click here.