Screening, HPV Vaccination, and Risk Factor Data Sources

Data on Screening and Risk Factors

Data on cancer screening and risk factors are based on information obtained from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).

The BRFSS is a system of ongoing state-based health-related telephone surveys designed to collect data on health-related risk behaviors, chronic health conditions, and use of preventive services from the noninstitutionalized adult (18 years or older) population residing in the United States. BRFSS collects data in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and three U.S. territories. BRFSS completes more than 400,000 interviews with adults each year. BRFSS is administered and supported by the Division of Population Health in CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

Since 2011, the BRFSS has been conducting both landline and cellular telephone-based surveys. All the responses were self-reported; proxy interviews are not conducted by the BRFSS. In conducting the landline telephone survey, interviewers collect data from a randomly selected adult in a household. In conducting the cellular telephone survey, interviewers collect data from adults answering the cellular telephones residing in a private residence or college housing. Beginning in 2014, all adults contacted through their cellular telephone were eligible, regardless of their landline phone use.

The BRFSS field operations are managed by state health departments that follow protocols adopted by the states, with technical assistance from CDC. The data are transmitted to CDC for editing, processing, weighting, and analysis. An edited and weighted data file is provided to each participating health department for each year of data collection, and summary reports of geographic area-specific data are prepared by CDC. For more information, visit the survey data and documentation web page.

Data on HPV Vaccinations

Data on human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations are collected through the National Immunization Survey-Teen (NIS-Teen). The NIS-Teen is a random-digit-dialed survey of parents or guardians of teens who are 13 to 17 years old. The telephone survey is followed by a questionnaire mailed to vaccination providers to obtain the teen’s vaccination history. The national sample contains more than 20,000 teens with adequate vaccination coverage data reported by their health care providers (adequate provider data). Vaccination coverage estimates are based on provider-reported vaccination histories.