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Calendar Year 2018 Results

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)

2018 BRFSS Topics by Risks, Conditions, and Quality of Life

BRFSS 2018 Annual Results Technical Notes

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Health Status (see results for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017)

• Would you say that in general your health is:
• General Health Indicator for Healthy North Carolina 2020

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Healthy Days (see results for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017)

• Now thinking about your physical health, which includes physical illness and injury, for how many days during the past 30 days was your physical health not good?
• Now thinking about your mental health, which includes stress, depression, and problems with emotions, for how many days during the past 30 days was your mental health not good?
• During the past 30 days, for about how many days did poor physical or mental health keep you from doing your usual activities, such as self-care, work, or recreation?
• Frequent Mental Distress (within the past 30 days)

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Health Care Access (see results for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017)

• Do you have any kind of health care coverage, including health insurance, prepaid plans such as HMOs, or government plans such as Medicare?
• Health Insurance Coverage (Under Age 65)
• Health Insurance Coverage for Those Employed for Wages (Under Age 65)
• Do you have one person you think of as your personal doctor or health care provider?
• Was there a time during the last 12 months when you needed to see a doctor, but could not because of the cost?
• About how long has it been since you last visited a doctor for a routine checkup?
• What is the primary source of your health care coverage?
• Health care coverage status past 12 months
• Do you have any kind of insurance coverage that pays for some or all of your routine dental care including dental insurance prepaid plans such as HMOs or government plans such as Medicaid?

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Exercise (see results for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017)

• During the past month, other than your regular job, did you participate in any physical activities or exercises such as running, calisthenics, golf, gardening, or walking for exercise?

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Inadequate Sleep (see results for 2013, 2014, 2016)

• On average, how many hours of sleep do you get in a 24-hour period?

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Chronic Health Conditions (see results for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017)

Has a doctor, nurse, or other health professional EVER told you that -
• (Ever told) you had a heart attack also called a myocardial infarction?
• (Ever told) you had angina or coronary heart disease?
• (Ever told) you had a stroke?
• History of Any Cardiovascular Diseases (heart attack or coronary heart disease or stroke)
• (Ever told) you had asthma?
• Do you still have asthma?
• (Ever told) you had skin cancer?
• (Ever told) you had any other types of cancer?
• (Ever told) you have (COPD) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema or chronic bronchitis?
• (Ever told) you have some form of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lupus, or fibromyalgia?
• (Ever told) you have a depressive disorder, including depression, major depression, dysthymia, or minor depression?
• (Ever told) you have kidney disease?
• (Ever told) you have diabetes?
• Summary Index of Chronic Health Conditions

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Oral Health (see results for 2012, 2014, 2016)

• How long has it been since you last visited a dentist or a dental clinic for any reason?
• How many of your permanent teeth have been removed because of tooth decay or gum disease? Do not include teeth lost for other reasons, such as injury or orthodontics.
• Adults aged 18+ that have had permanent teeth extracted
• Adults aged 65+ who have had all their natural teeth extracted (calculated variable)

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Demographics (Disability Questions) (see results for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017)

• Are you deaf or do you have serious difficulty hearing?
• Are you blind or do you have serious difficulty seeing, even when wearing glasses?
• Because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition, do you have serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions?
• Do you have serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs?
• Do you have difficulty dressing or bathing?
• Because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition, do you have difficulty doing errands alone such as visiting a doctor’s office or shopping?
• Functional Disability Status

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Tobacco Use (see results for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017)

• Have you smoked at least 100 cigarettes in your entire life?
• Do you now smoke cigarettes everyday, some days, or not at all?
• During the past 12 months, have you stopped smoking for one day or longer because you were trying to quit smoking?
• How long has it been since you last smoked a cigarette, even one or two puffs?
• Do you currently use chewing tobacco or snuff every day, some days, or not at all?
• Smoking Status
• Current Smoker
• Use of Multiple Tobacco Products
• Use of Any Tobacco Product

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Alcohol Consumption (see results for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017)

• During the past 30 days, how many days per week or per month did you have at least one drink of any alcoholic beverage such as beer, wine, a malt beverage or liquor?
• One drink is equivalent to a 12 ounce beer, a 5 ounce glass of wine, or a drink with one shot of liquor.
  During the past 30 days, on the days when you drank, about how many drinks did you drink on the average?
• Considering all types of alcoholic beverages, how many times during the past 30 days did you have [5 or more drinks for men or 4 or more drinks for women] on an occasion?
• During the past 30 days, what is the largest number of drinks you had on any occasion?
• Binge Drinking
• Heavy Drinking
• Moderate Drinking Guidelines

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Immunization (see results for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017)

• During the past 12 months, have you had either a flu shot or a flu vaccine that was sprayed in your nose?
• Have you ever had a pneumonia shot?

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Falls (see results for 2012, 2014, 2016)

• In the past 12 months, how many times have you fallen?
• How many of these falls caused an injury that limited your regular activities by at least a day?

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Seatbelt Use (see results for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017)
Drinking & Driving (see results for 2012, 2014, 2016)

• How often do you use seatbelts when you drive or ride in a car?
• During the past 30 days, how many times have you driven when you've had perhaps too much to drink?

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Breast & Cervical Cancer Screening (see results for 2012, 2014, 2016)

• A mammogram is an x-ray of each breast to look for breast cancer. Have you ever had a mammogram?
• How long has it been since you had your last mammogram?
• Had a mammogram within the past 2 years (Age 40+) (CDC calculated variable)
• Women age 50-74 who have had a mammogram in the past two years. (CDC calculated variable)
• A Pap test is a test for cancer of the cervix. Have you ever had a Pap test?
• How long has it been since you had your last Pap test?
• Women age 21-65 who have had a pap test in the past three years. (CDC calculated variable)
• Have you ever had an HPV test?
• How long has it been since you had your last HPV test?
• Have you had a hysterectomy?

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Prostate Cancer Screening (see results for 2012, 2014, 2016)

• A Prostate-Specific Antigen test, also called a PSA test, is a blood test used to check men for prostate cancer. Has a doctor, nurse, or other health professional EVER talked with you about the advantages of the PSA test?
• Has a doctor, nurse, or other health professional EVER talked with you about the disadvantages of the PSA test?
• Has a doctor, nurse, or other health professional EVER recommended that you have a PSA test?
• Have you ever had a PSA test?
• How long has it been since you had your last PSA test?
• What was the MAIN reason you had this PSA test
• Male respondents aged 40+ that have had a PSA test in the past 2 years.

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Colorectal Cancer Screening (see results for 2012, 2014, 2016)

• A blood stool test is a test that may use a special kit at home to determine whether the stool contains blood. Have you ever had this test using a home kit?
• How long has it been since you had your last blood stool test using a home kit?
• Respondents age 50-75 who have had a blood stool test within the past year
• Respondents age 50-75 who have had a blood stool test within the past 3 years
• Sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy are exams in which a tube is inserted in the rectum to view the bowel for signs of cancer or other health problems. Have you ever had either of these exams?
• Was your most recent exam a sigmoidoscopy or a colonoscopy?
• How long has it been since you had your last sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy?
• Respondents age 50-75 that have had a colonoscopy in the past 10 years (CDC calculated variable)
• Respondents age 50-75 who received one or more of the recommended colorectal cancer screening tests within the recommended time interval (CDC calculated variable)

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HIV/AIDS (see results for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017)

• Not counting tests you may have had as part of blood donation, have you ever been tested for HIV?
• Do any of these situations apply to you in the past year: have used intravenous drugs, have been treated for a sexually transmitted or venereal disease, have given or received money or drugs in exchange for sex, had anal sex without a condom, had four or more sex partners?
• Time of last HIV test (Not including blood donations)

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Pre-Diabetes (see results for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017)

• Have you had a test for high blood sugar or diabetes within the past three years?
• Have you ever been told by a doctor or other health professional that you have pre-diabetes or borderline diabetes?

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E-Cigarettes (see results for 2016, 2017)

• Have you ever used an e-cigarette or other electronic vaping product, even just one time, in your entire life?
• Do you now use e-cigarettes or other electronic vaping products every day, some days, or not at all?
• E-Cigarette/Vaping Status

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Respiratory Health

• During the past 3 months, did you have a cough on most days?
• During the past 3 months, did you cough up phlegm [FLEM] or mucus on most days?
• Do you have shortness of breath either when hurrying on level ground or when walking up a slight hill or stairs?
• Have you ever been given a breathing test to diagnose breathing problems?
• Over your lifetime, how many years have you smoked tobacco products?

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Diabetes Control (see results for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016)

• During the past 12 months, was there any time that you did not have testing supplies (strips, lancets, meter) or diabetes medicine due to lack of money?

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Folic Acid (see results for 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016)

• How often do you now take a multivitamin?

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Preconception Health & Family Planning (see results for 2011, 2016)

Has a doctor, nurse, or other health care worker ever talked with you about any of the following topics during a routine health care visit:
• The risks of tobacco, alcohol, and drug use for having a healthy pregnancy?
• Your plans for having children?
• Ways to prepare for a healthy pregnancy and baby?

• How often do you get the social and emotional support you need?

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Chronic Pain

• Do you suffer from any type of chronic pain, that is pain that occurs constantly or flares up often?
• About how often to you experience this pain?
• On a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 means no pain at all and 10 means the worst pain you can imagine, how severe has your pain usually been over the past 3 months?
• Have you ever seen or talked to a doctor, nurse, or other health professional about your pain?
• What is the main cause of your chronic pain?
• Are you doing anything to cope with your chronic pain?

Are you doing anything to cope with your chronic pain?
• (Using) Over-the-counter medication like ibuprofen or aspirin
• (Using) A prescription anti-inflammatory like Celebrex
• (Using) A prescription narcotic pain reliever like Percocet or Vicodin
• (Using) Some other prescription drug
• (Using) A non-medication pain therapy like acupuncture, physical therapy, or yoga
• (Using) Alcohol
• (Using) Marijuana
• (Using) A street drug other than marijuana
• (Using) something else

• Has a doctor, nurse, or other health professional talked with you about the risk of getting addicted to your narcotic pain reliever?

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Cardiovascular Health (see results for 2011, 2013, 2016)

• Following your heart attack, did you go to any kind of outpatient rehabilitation? This is sometimes called rehab.
• Following your stroke, did you go to any kind of outpatient rehabilitation? This is sometimes called rehab.
• Do you take aspirin daily or every other day?
• Do you have a health problem or condition that makes taking aspirin unsafe for you?
• Do you take aspirin to reduce the chance of a heart attack?
• Do you take aspirin to reduce the chance of a stroke?

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Secondhand Smoke (see results for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017)

• On how many of the past 7 days, did someone smoke in your indoor workplace while you were there?
• Workplace Secondhand Smoke Exposure Indicator for Healthy North Carolina 2020
• On how many of the past 7 days, did anyone smoke in your home while you were there?
• On how many of the past 7 days, did you smell tobacco smoke from someone else's cigarette, cigar, or pipe drifting into your home from nearby apartments or from outside?

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Other Tobacco Products (see results for 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017)

• During the past 30 days, did you smoke cigars, cigarillos, or little cigars?
• During the past 30 days, have you used a hookah or water pipe?

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Smoking Cessation (see results for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017)

• In the past 12 months, did any doctor, dentist, nurse, or other health professional advise you to quit smoking cigarettes or using any other tobacco products?
• Did your doctor or health provider recommend medications and/or discuss methods and strategies other than medication (such as referrals to Quitline, counseling opportunities, or educational materials such as booklets or pamphlets) to assist you to quit smoking?

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Usual Type of Alcoholic Beverage Consumed

• During the past 30 days, what type of alcohol did you usually drink?

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Eat Smart Move More (see results for 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016)

• Have you heard of Eat Smart, Move More North Carolina?

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Hepatitis C

• Have you ever been tested for Hepatitis C?
• Have you ever been told by a doctor, nurse, or other healthcare professional that you had a Hepatitis C infection?

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Traumatic Brain Injury (see results for 2011, 2014, 2016, 2017)

• Thinking about any injuries you have had in your lifetime, were you ever knocked out or did you lose consciousness?
• What was the longest time you were knocked out or unconscious?
• How old were you the first time you were knocked out or lost consciousness?

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Gambling Behavior (see results for 2012, 2014, 2016)

• In the past 12 months, have you gambled or played any games for money?
• How much money do you usually wager on a day when you play for money?
• Have you ever tried to cut down or control your gambling?
• Have you ever lied to family members or friends about how much you gamble or how much money you have lost gambling?
• Have there ever been periods for 2 weeks or more when you spent a lot of time thinking about gambling or planning future gambling?

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Injection Drug Use

• Do you know anyone who injects drugs that have not been prescribed for them by a doctor?

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Sexual Violence

• Has anyone EVER had sex with you after you said or showed that you didn’t want them to or without your consent?
• Think about the time of the most recent incident involving a person who had sex with you, or attempted to have sex with you, after you said or showed that you didn’t want to or without your consent. What was that person’s relationship to you?

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Derived Variables and Risk Factors (see results for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017)

• Body Mass Index Grouping-Underweight, Recommended Range, Overweight and Obese
• Adults who have a body mass index greater than 25.00 (Overweight or Obese)
• Health Insurance Coverage - Age Under 65
• Health Insurance Coverage for Those Employed for Wages (Age Under 65)
• Smoking Status
• Current Smoker
• Binge Drinking
• Heavy Drinking
• Had a mammogram within the past 2 years (Age 40+) (CDC calculated variable)
• Women age 50-74 who have had a mammogram in the past two years (CDC calculated variable)

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