Data User's Guide to the BRFSS Fruit and Vegetable Module

Surveillance of fruit and vegetable intake is important because it can identify populations at risk, track trends in intake over time, and inform policy and program development.

The 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Fruit and Vegetable module provides an easy way to track state fruit and vegetable consumption over time. It also provides a way to identify disparities in fruit and vegetable intake and can be used to inform state nutrition programs and initiatives.

The BRFSS Fruit and Vegetable module is one of the only sources of state-level data on fruit and vegetable consumption. For most states this is the only source of uniform, state-level dietary data for adults.

In 2017, the CDC and BRFSS coordinators redesigned the Fruit and Vegetable module to reduce burden on the interviewers and respondents and better align with other national surveys. The 2017 questions differ from those asked in the 1989–2009 and 2011–2015 Fruit and Vegetable modules. The data users guide pdf icon[PDF-447KB] answers common questions about the new Fruit and Vegetable module.