The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), also known as the Virginia Adult Health Survey (VAHS), is a telephone survey conducted by the health departments of all states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam with assistance from CDC. The BRFSS is the largest continuously conducted telephone health surveillance system in the world.States use BRFSS data to:
- Identify emerging health problems
- Establish health objectives and track their progress
- Develop and evaluate public health policies and programs to address identified problems
The BRFSS is the primary source of information for states and the nation on the health-related behaviors of adults. States collect data through monthly interviews with adults aged 18 years or older. BRFSS interviewers ask questions related to behaviors that are associated with preventable chronic diseases, injuries, and infectious diseases.
Survey calls for the Virginia BRFSS are taking place now. If you receive a phone call from 804-864-7686 on behalf of the Virginia Department of Health asking you to answer some questions about your health and health practices, it is a legitimate phone call. A contractor, identified through a transparent state bidding process, conducts the interviews. The University of Missouri (UoM) is the interviewing contractor for the Virginia BRFSS. UoM works seven days a week from 9 am to 8:45 pm, including Saturdays from 10 am to 2 pm and Sundays from 1 pm to 5 pm.