Center for Health Statistics

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For more information contact the Washington State BRFSS Coordinator:

Katrina Wynkoop Simmons

• Telephone:
  360-236-4322
• Toll Free Number in Washington: 1-866-871-5405
• E-mail:
  Katrina.Simmons@
  doh.wa.gov

What's New

• BRFSS-IQ: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System - Internet Query system - 5/3/08
• BRFSS 2006A: CDC core questions and questions on various state-added topics. - 4/17/07
• BRFSS 2006B: CDC core questions and Adult Tobacco Survey questions. - 4/17/07

About BRFSS

The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is the largest, continuously conducted, telephone health survey in the world. It enables the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), state health departments, and other health agencies to monitor modifiable risk factors for chronic diseases and other leading causes of death.

Highlights Washington BRFSS 2006

General Health Status

• Almost 87% of adults report they have good, very good or excellent health.

Health Insurance

• A little under 17% of adults age 18-64 had no health insurance.

Asthma

• About 14% of adults have been told some time in their lives that they have asthma.
• About 9% of adults have asthma now.

Diabetes

• A little over 7% of adults had ever been told by a doctor that they had diabetes.

Immunizations

• 33% of adults age 65 and older had no flu shot in the past year.
• Just over 75% of adults age 65 and older have never had a Pneumococcal vaccination.
• About 37% of adults have had completed the Hepatitis B vaccine.

Overweight and Obesity

• Over 24% of adults were obese (body mass index of 30 or more).
• Over 36% of adults were overweight (body mass index 25-<30)

Physical Activity

• 17.3% of adults had no leisure time physical activity or exercise.

Tobacco Use

• 17» % of adults were current smokers.

Alcohol Use

• Over 14% of adults reported binge drinking (5 or more drinks on one occasion for men or 4 or more drinks for women).
• Just under 5% of women and just over 5% of men reported heavy drinking. Heavy drinking means 2 or more drinks per day for men and 1 or more drinks per day for women.
• Almost 4% of adults reported driving when they had perhaps too much to drink.

Seat Belt Use

• About 8» % of adults reported that they do not » always» wear their seat belts when driving or riding in a car.

Falls

• About 18% of adults reported that they had fallen down in the past 2 months.
• Almost one-third of the people who fell down got hurt enough to go to see a doctor or health professional.

Oral Health

• Just over 30% of adults had not had their teeth cleaned in the past year.

Cardiovasular Health

• A little over 3% of adults had ever had a heart attack and a little over 2% had ever had a stroke.

Colorectal Cancer Screening

• Over two-thirds of adults age 50 and older have not had a blood stool test within the past 2 years.
• Over one-third of adults age 50 and older have not had a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy in the past 5 years.

Women's Health Screening

• About 24% of women age 40 and older did not get a mammogram within the past two years.
• About 16% of women age 18 and older did not get a Pap Test in the past three years.

Prostate Cancer Screening

• Over half of the men age 40 and older (52%) did not get a PSA test within the past two years.

Emotional Support and Life Satisfaction

• Almost 84% of adults reported always or usually getting the emotional support they needed.
• Over 95% of adults reported being very satisfied or satisfied with their lives.