Collect reliable, population-based data on the behavioral risks of the adult population of South Dakotan's. Data collected will be used to plan, implement, and monitor disease prevention efforts. - The South Dakota Department of Health (SDDOH) has collected data on self-reported health behaviors and associated risk factors for adults (aged 18 and older) since 1984, and first partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to collect risk factor data on a monthly basis in 1986. In 1987, the SDDOH began implementing the CDC's existing Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) in South Dakota and has continued administration for the past 37 years. Although health monitoring is conducted at the national level, in many cases these surveillance systems do not adequately describe the health risk behaviors and health status of populations in a state. Accordingly, the SDDOH, its programs and partners depend on the BRFSS to collect reliable and timely, population-based data. In turn the SDDOH and its Office of Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotions (OCDPHP) use BRFSS data to monitor the health status, health risk behaviors, and health disparities of South Dakotans which drive prioritization of strategies and activities in strategic and state plans. The data also serves as an indicator to these plans and is monitored annually to measure progress toward meeting these goals and objectives. BRFSS data is also used to prioritize effects, develop targeted intervention strategies, and access the effectiveness of these strategies at reducing health disparities. With the overall goal of improving population health in South Dakota. Additionally, BRFSS data is used to track performance measures on other existing CDC grants as it is shared with SDDOH and program partners including other state agencies and outside organizations that utilize BRFSS data to inform programs and initiatives. BRFSS data is also vital to the SDDOH's ability to handle emerging issues such as seen with the COVID-19 pandemic. BRFSS data helped identify the state's percentage of high-risk populations and has been used by leadership, including the Governor, to inform projections and drive the state's response to such crises. During the period of performance, the SDDOH will acquire data for ten geographic strata and will over sample the eight most populous counties in South Dakota. This strategy has been utilized since 2011 and continues to grow the utility of the BRFSS data. Through the availability of reliable county level data, the SDDOH's Office of Health Statistics (OHS) is able to produce estimates for these local areas which increasingly drive the SDDOH public health programs. Additionally, the OHS will continue to oversample counties with populations known to be at least 50% American Indian allowing the SDDOH to continue to define health disparities within this critical minority population and create programs aimed at reducing identified disparities. Rural areas will be oversampled to ensure health disparities due to resources accessibility and other prevalent risk factors are able to be identified and addressed through strategic planning and partnership agreements.
