Sunday, May 18, 2025
5/18/2025
Maryland Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance Survey - The Maryland BRFSS is an ongoing telephone-based chronic disease surveillance system which monitors health risk behaviors, access to care, utilization of services, and chronic disease burden among Maryland’s non-institutionalized adult population age 18 and older. State agencies, local health departments, private and non-profit institutions, universities, the legislature, and many other partners use Maryland BRFSS data to assess need, plan programs, evaluate programs, and inform policies to improve the health of Maryland residents. Maryland BRFSS data are critical to initiatives in the Department such as the Diabetes Action Plan and tobacco cessation actions, asthma, and those addressing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Maryland BRFSS data are also vital for identifying the demographic and geographic population subgroups experiencing health disparities and for allowing governmental and partner agencies to target prevention activities and interventions to the most vulnerable segments of Maryland’s population. The annual and biennial nature of most BRFSS questions allows stakeholders to monitor progress toward achieving goals and evaluate the impact of programs over time. In addition, many state and local agencies use Maryland BRFSS data to apply for federal, state, and local funding, as there are no alternate data sources available for many items collected in the Maryland BRFSS. The Maryland BRFSS program offers the survey in both English and Spanish to ensure inclusion of Maryland’s largest linguistic minority in surveillance activities. The Maryland BRFSS program improved representation of racial and ethnic minorities, adults age 18 to 34, and men by increasing the cell phone allocation from 10% in 2015 to 65% by 2020, with 70% planned cell phone completed surveys in 2021. Increasing the cell phone allocation also addresses an emerging data collection issue as the National Health Interview Survey reports that more than 50% of adults in the United States live in wireless-only households and the percentage in wireless-only households increases every year. The Maryland BRFSS program is applying for the Core and Option funding and plans to collect 9,750 landline and 5,250 cell phone surveys and implement the Asthma Call Back Survey (400 completed surveys) in 2020. In addition, the Maryland BRFSS program is implementing interventions to improve partner access to survey data, utility of survey data, integration of survey data into program planning, and public awareness of the BRFSS survey. The Maryland BRFSS program is requesting funding to support staffing, data collection, and data dissemination activities for three years, August 2020 to July 2023. Expected Outcomes: Maryland will have increased access to more quality and timelier BRFSS data collected and analyzed by organizations. Measure: Increased accuracy reliability of, and access to, Maryland BRFSS data. Maryland will increase dissemination of data to health professionals and public health stakeholders to determine population health risk behaviors and health status. Measure: Increased number of organizations with access to Maryland BRFSS data. Increased number of completed interviews from survey responders. Increased number of BRFSS indicators that can be reported at the jurisdiction level. Measure: Increased use of Maryland BRFSS data to identify and track health trends. BRFSS data are used by public health organizations to identify health risk behaviors and health status of populations. Increased accuracy reliability of, and access to, Maryland BRFSS data. Measure: Increased number of public health programs that use BRFSS data in budget decisions, policy and program development, and program evaluation.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).