Kentucky Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance (KyBRFS) - The Kentucky Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance (KyBRFS) program is housed strategically in the Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Branch of the Division for Prevention and Quality Improvement in the Kentucky Department for Public Health. The Kentucky application for funding under FOA CDC-RFA-DP24-0023 is therefore responsive to CDC’s goal of conducting health-related behavioral surveillance through the BRFSS. Kentucky will collect and analyze surveillance data using a sample of telephone numbers, to monitor the prevalence of health risk behaviors that are associated with chronic health problems, preventable injuries and help respond to current and emerging health threats. Data collection activities in Kentucky using KyBRFS align with several Healthy People 2030 topic areas including Cancer, Social Determinants of Health, Access to Health Services, and Health-Related Quality of Life and Well-Being for all Individuals. Of the Healthy People 2030 objectives, KyBRFS data is used to monitor progress towards Diabetes. This application is also responsive to the HHS Strategic Goal 4, Objective 4.1: “improve surveillance, epidemiology and laboratory services.” The KyBRFS program will provide leadership to collect, analyze, and interpret locally relevant data on risk behaviors and preventive health measures for use in planning, implementing and measuring the progress of the Department's risk-reduction programs, and for developing policies and legislation. The program will collect a total of 7,000 surveys in 14 sub-state regions with 5,600 completed cell phone surveys and 1,400 landline surveys. In addition to this the program will over-sample the African American population to identify and monitor health disparities by race. With assistance from CDC, the program will increase the percentage of cell phone completes to 80% of the landline completes. A strategic plan will be followed to ensure a predictable cycle of optional module data to support chronic disease and health promotion programs, and small area analysis of data will be disseminated to support planning by the Commonwealth’s Local Health Departments. Kentucky is largely rural or semi-rural with some major urban population residing in Jefferson County, Fayette County and Boone County. Eastern Kentucky falls in the Appalachian region. The KyBRFS program will try newer technology, modernized and innovative processes to provide timely access to data within local communities. The program has built strategic partnerships that help in developing and expanding relationships with communities underrepresented in KyBRFS data which include the African American, and Appalachian residents of the commonwealth. The KyBRFS program understands the importance of improving the public health impact of its program through increased data use by collaboration with both internal and external stakeholders. The strategies proposed in this application highlight the program’s commitment to achieving positive public health impact by leveraging resources and sharing expertise and receiving regular feedback from the KyBRFS Steering Committee members and the data users group. It is the main advisory group for the program.
