Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has submitted the information collection request titled Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. CDC previously published a “Proposed Data Collection Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations” notice on October 16, 2017 to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies. CDC received one comment related to the previous notice. This notice serves to allow an additional 30 days for public and affected agency comments.

CDC will accept all comments for this proposed information collection project. The Office of Management and Budget is particularly interested in comments that:

(a) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility;

(b) Evaluate the accuracy of the agencies estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;

(c) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected;

(d) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including, through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses; and

(e) Assess information collection costs.

To request additional information on the proposed project or to obtain a copy of the information collection plan and instruments, call (404) 639-7570 or send an email to omb@cdc.gov. Direct written comments and/or suggestions regarding the items contained in this notice to the Attention: CDC Desk Officer, Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20503 or by fax to (202) 395-5806. Provide written comments within 30 days of notice publication.

Proposed Project

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) (OMB Control Number 0920-1061, Expiration Date 3/31/2018)—Revision—National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

CDC is requesting Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval to continue information collection for the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) for the period of 2018-2021. The BRFSS is a nationwide system of cross-sectional telephone health surveys administered by health departments in states, territories, and the District of Columbia (collectively referred to here as states) in collaboration with CDC.

The BRFSS produces state-level information primarily on health risk behaviors, health conditions, and preventive health practices that are associated with chronic diseases, infectious diseases, and injury. Designed to meet the data needs of individual states and territories, the CDC sponsors the BRFSS information collection project under a cooperative agreement with states and territories. Under this partnership, BRFSS state coordinators determine questionnaire content with technical and methodological assistance provided by CDC. For most states and territories, the BRFSS provides the only sources of data amenable to state and local level health and health risk indicator uses. Over time, it has also developed into an important data collection system that federal agencies rely on for state and local health information and to track national health objectives such as Healthy People.

CDC bases the BRFSS questionnaire on modular design principles to accommodate a variety of state-specific needs within a common framework. All participating states are required to administer a standardized core questionnaire, which provides a set of shared health indicators for all BRFSS partners. The BRFSS core questionnaire consists of fixed core, rotating core, and emerging core questions. Fixed core questions are asked every year. Rotating core questions cycle on and off the core questionnaire during even or odd years, depending on the question. Emerging core questions are included in the core questionnaire as needed to collect data on urgent or emerging health topics such as influenza.

In addition, the BRFSS includes a series of optional modules on a variety of topics. In off years, when the rotating questions are not included in the core questionnaire, they are offered to states as an optional module. This framework allows each state to produce a customized BRFSS survey by appending selected optional modules to the core survey. States may select which, if any, optional modules to administer. As needed, CDC provides technical and methodological assistance to state BRFSS coordinators in the construction of their state-specific surveys. The CDC and BRFSS partners produce a new set of state-specific BRFSS questionnaires each calendar year (i.e., 2016 BRFSS questionnaires, 2017 BRFSS questionnaires, etc.). CDC submits an annual Change Request to OMB that outlines updates to the BRFSS core survey and optional modules that have occurred since the previous year. Each state administers its BRFSS questionnaire throughout the calendar year.

The current estimated average burden for the core BRFSS interview is 15 minutes. For the optional modules, the estimated average burden per response varies by state and year, but is currently estimated at an additional 15 minutes. Finally, the BRFSS allows states to customize some portions of the questionnaire through the addition of state-added questions, which CDC does not review nor approve. State-added questions are not included in CDC's burden estimates.

CDC periodically updates the BRFSS core survey and optional modules as new modules or adopt emerging core questions. The purpose of this Revision request is to extend the information collection period for three years and to incorporate field-testing into the approved information collection plan.

Field-testing is the final check of changes in the questionnaire, which have occurred in the preceding year. Researchers conduct field-testing in a manner that mimics the full-scale project protocol, to the degree that is feasible. Field-testing allows for necessary changes in data collection methods and data collection software. Researchers use field tests to identify problems with instrument documentation or instructions, problems with conditional logic (e.g., skip patterns), software errors or other implementation and usability issues. Researchers conduct field-testing with all new modules, emerging core questions, sections, which precede and/or follow any new or changed items and extant sections, which are topically related. Researchers also conduct this testing to identify redundant and overlapping questions. Extant sections of the questionnaire unrelated to new items do not require testing. The demographic questions on the core BRFSS survey are included on each field test. CDC will submit change requests to OMB annually to gain approval to implement modifications identified in field tests. Researchers typically conduct field tests in a single state with appropriate computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) capability. Individuals who participate in field testing are drawn from a different sample than individuals who participate in the BRFSS surveys. Participation is voluntary and there is no cost to participate. The average time burden per response will be 22 minutes. The total time burden across all respondents will be approximately 241,519 hours.

The public comment received to date requested that BRFSS be modified to include more questions about tobacco use, including use of newer nicotine-delivery devices. Because BRFSS follows the design and development process described above, CDC cannot unilaterally change the topical content of BRFSS and no change has been made to the 2018 questionnaire.