Name File Type Size Last Modified
  Code 11/11/2021 05:09:PM
  Data 11/11/2021 05:05:PM
  Documentation 11/12/2021 09:44:AM

Project Citation: 

Bynum, Julie. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) for Dementia Researchers, 2015-2019. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2021-11-30. https://doi.org/10.3886/E154421V1

Project Description

Summary:  View help for Summary This code and corresponding data files are intended for use in cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) research. The files include five years of cleaned datasets derived from the 2015-2019 years of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). BRFSS is a system of phone surveys that collect state data on health-related risk behaviors, chronic health conditions, and the use of preventive services in the U.S. adult population.  

BRFSS is conducted in three waves, or “versions,” each year. Core questionnaires from BRFSS must be asked of all respondents in each wave and are asked in all 50 U.S. states, D.C., and some U.S. territories for 2015-2019. Individual states may opt to include additional modules, such as the Cognitive Decline Module, that may be asked in some or all the waves.  This project uses the “full year” files, meaning that optional modules are only included for a state if they asked it in all three waves.
 

The provided datasets include cleaned sociodemographic information on respondents’ state, age, sex, race, education, and marital status from the full year data files (e.g., “2016 BRFSS Data”). The datasets also include the Caregiver Module and the Cognitive Decline Module for states which included either in all three waves of data collection. All states are included regardless of Caregiver or Cognitive Decline Module use. The files were constructed to allow for users to append multiple years of data for longitudinal analysis. Brief and detailed summaries of the variables available in these datasets along with more detailed descriptions of performed data cleaning can be found in the provided data dictionaries. Users may also refer to the provided “Overview of variables across years” for a quick look at variation in questions across years. SAS, Stata, and CSV data file formats are provided as are the full coding scripts used in Stata.
Funding Sources:  View help for Funding Sources United States Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health. National Institute on Aging (AG066582)

Scope of Project

Subject Terms:  View help for Subject Terms aging; cognitive functioning; cognition; cognitive impairment; dementia; Alzheimers disease; caregiving; ADRD; CAPRA
Geographic Coverage:  View help for Geographic Coverage 50 U.S. states, D.C., U.S. Territories
Time Period(s):  View help for Time Period(s) 2015 – 2019
Universe:  View help for Universe U.S. and U.S. territory adults, weighted to the state level
Data Type(s):  View help for Data Type(s) program source code; survey data
Collection Notes:  View help for Collection Notes Users of this resource should be familiar with complex survey design and appropriately apply the sample weights, strata, and cluster/primary sampling unit for any analyses. For all years, users should set the weight to the final weight (_llcpwt), strata should be set to the sample design stratification variable (_ststr), and cluster/PSU should be set to the primary sampling using (_psu).  

Note that the Cognitive Decline Modules was only asked of respondents age 45 and older. 

Methodology

Sampling:  View help for Sampling Complex survey data with a stratified, clustered sampling design, weighted to the state-level
Data Source:  View help for Data Source Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Collection Mode(s):  View help for Collection Mode(s) telephone interview
Scales:  View help for Scales Caregiving Module; Cognitive Decline Module
Weights:  View help for Weights For all years, users should set the weight to the final weight (_llcpwt), strata should be set to the sample design stratification variable (_ststr), and cluster/PSU should be set to the primary sampling using (_psu).
Unit(s) of Observation:  View help for Unit(s) of Observation Person
Geographic Unit:  View help for Geographic Unit U.S. State / territory

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