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Calendar Year 2019 Results

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)

2019 BRFSS Topics for Region 5

BRFSS 2019 Annual Results Technical Notes

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Health Status (see results for 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)

• 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 for2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)

• 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 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)

• 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

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Hypertension Awareness (see results for 2015, 2017)

• Have you ever been told by a doctor, nurse, or other health professional that you have high blood pressure?
• Are you currently taking medicine for your high blood pressure?
• Adults who have been told they have high blood pressure by a doctor, nurse, or other health professional (CDC calculated variable)

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Cholesterol Awareness (see results for 2015, 2017)

• Blood cholesterol is a fatty substance found in the blood. About how long has it been since you last had your blood cholesterol checked?
• Have you ever been told by a doctor, nurse or other health professional that your blood cholesterol is high?
• Are you currently taking medicine prescribed by a doctor or other health professional for your blood cholesterol?
• Adults who have had their cholesterol checked and have been told by a doctor, nurse, or other health professional that it was high (CDC calculated variable)
• Cholesterol check within past five years (CDC calculated variable)

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Chronic Health Conditions (see results for 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)

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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Arthritis (see results for 2015, 2017)

• Has a doctor or other health professional ever suggested physical activity or exercise to help your arthritis or joint symptoms?
• Have you ever taken an educational course or class to teach you how to manage problems related to your arthritis or joint symptoms?
• Are you now limited in any way in any of your usual activities because of arthritis or joint symptoms?
• In this next question, we are referring to work for pay. Do arthritis or joint symptoms now affect whether you work, the type of work you do, or the amount of work you do?
• Please think about the past 30 days, keeping in mind all of your joint pain or aching and whether or not you have taken medication. DURING THE PAST 30 DAYS, how bad was your joint pain ON AVERAGE?
• Limited usual activities (Arthritis) (CDC calculated variable)
• Limited work activities (Arthritis) (CDC calculated variable)

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Demographics (Disability Questions) (see results for 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)

• 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 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)

• 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 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)

• 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
• Excessive Drinking

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Exercise (see results for 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)

• 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?
• What type of physical activity or exercise did you spend the most time doing during the past month?
• Adults that participated in 150 minutes (or vigorous equivalent minutes) of physical activity per week
• Adults that participated in 300 minutes (or vigorous equivalent minutes)
  of physical activity per week
• Physical Activity Categories
• Aerobic Recommendations
• Muscle Strengthening Recommendations
• Aerobic and Strengthening Guidelines (4-LEVEL)
• Aerobic and Strengthening Guidelines (2-LEVEL)

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Fruits and Vegetables (see results for 2015, 2017)

• Consumed fruit one or more times per day
• Consumed vegetables one or more times per day
• Consumed fruits or vegetables or beans five or more times per day

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Immunization (see results for 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)

• During the past 12 months, have you had either a flu vaccine that was sprayed in your nose
  or a flu shot injected into your arm?
• Have you ever had a pneumonia shot also known as a pneumococcal vaccine?
• Have you received a tetanus shot in the past 10 years?

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HIV/AIDS (see results for 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)

• Including fluid testing from your mouth, but 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 2015, 2017, 2018)

• 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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Diabetes (see results for 2015, 2017)

• Has a doctor, nurse, or other health professional EVER told you that you have diabetes?
• How old were you when you were told you have diabetes?
• Are you now taking insulin?
• About how often do you check your blood for glucose or sugar? Include times when checked by a family member or friend, but do not include times when checked by a health professional.
• Including times when checked by a family member or friend, about how often do you check your feet for any sores or irritations?
• About how many times in the past 12 months have you seen a doctor, nurse, or other health professional for your diabetes?
• A test for hemoglobin 'A one C' measures the average level of blood sugar over the past three months. About how many times in the past 12 months has a doctor, nurse, or other health professional checked you for hemoglobin 'A one C'?
• About how many times in the past 12 months has a health professional checked your feet for any sores or irritations?
• When was the last time you had an eye exam in which the pupils were dilated? This would have made you temporarily sensitive to bright light.
• Has a doctor ever told you that diabetes has affected your eyes or that you had retinopathy?
• Have you ever taken a course or class in how to manage your diabetes yourself?

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Hepatitis Treatment

• Have you ever been told by a doctor or other health professional that you had Hepatitis C?
• Were you treated for Hepatitis C in 2015 or after?
• Were you treated for Hepatitis C prior to 2015?
• Do you still have Hepatitis C?
• The next question is about Hepatitis B. Has a doctor, nurse, or other health professional ever told you that you had hepatitis B?
• Are you currently taking medicine to treat hepatitis B?

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Lung Cancer Screening

• How old were you when you first started to smoke cigarettes regularly?
• How old were you when you last smoked cigarettes regularly?
• On average, when you [smoke/ smoked] regularly, about how many cigarettes {do/did} you usually smoke each day?
• In the last 12 months, did you have a CT or CAT scan?
• Number of pack years

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Sodium or Salt-Related Behavior (see results for 2015, 2017)

• Are you currently watching or reducing your sodium or salt intake?
• Has a doctor or other health professional ever advised you to reduce sodium or salt intake?

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Family Planning (see results for 2016, 2017)

• Women at risk of Unintended Pregnancy (Calculated variable).
• Women in need of Contraceptive Services (Calculated variable).
• Used Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptive (LARC) Method (Calculated variable).
• Effectiveness of current Contraceptive Method (Calculated variable).

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Alcohol Screening & Brief Intervention (ASBI)

• You told me earlier that your last routine checkup was [within the past year/within the past 2 years]. At that checkup, were you asked in person or on a form if you drink alcohol?
• Did the health care provider ask you in person or on a form how much you drink?
• Did the healthcare provider specifically ask whether you drank [5 FOR MEN /4 FOR WOMEN] or more alcoholic drinks on an occasion?
• Were you offered advice about what level of drinking is harmful or risky for your health?
• Healthcare providers may also advise patients to drink less for various reasons. At your last routine checkup, were you advised to reduce or quit your drinking?

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Hypertension Screening (see results for 2015, 2017)

• About how long has it been since you last had your blood pressure taken by a doctor, nurse, or other health professional?

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Sugar Sweetened Beverages (see results for 2015, 2017)

• During the past 30 days, how often did you drink regular soda or pop that contains sugar?
• During the past 30 days, how often did you drink sugar-sweetened fruit drinks (such as Kool-aid and lemonade) sweet tea, and sports or energy drinks (such as Gatorade and Red Bull)?
• HNC2030 sugar-sweetened beverage indicator

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Workplace Support for Healthy Eating or Exercise

• Does your workplace offer any support for healthy eating or physical activity for its employees?

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Use of Trails and Greenways (see results for 2015, 2017)

• Does your community have trails, greenways, bike paths, or sidewalks for biking, walking, or other activities?
• How often do you use these for biking, walking or other activities?

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E-Cigarettes (see results for 2016, 2017, 2018)

• 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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Secondhand Smoke (see results for 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)

• 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 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)

• 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 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)

• 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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Traumatic Brain Injury (see results for 2016, 2017, 2018)

• 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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Chronic Pain (see results for 2018)

• 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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Cancer Survivorship

• Has any doctor, nurse, or other health professional ever given you a written cancer survivorship care plan at any point during or after your treatment of cancer?
• Did you work with one or more patient navigator at any point during or after the course of your cancer treatment?
• At what point during the course of your cancer treatment were you introduced to your patient navigator?

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Radon Testing (see results for 2015)

• Do you know what radon gas is?
• Has your household been tested for the presence of radon gas?
• Were the radon levels in your household above the Environmental Protection Agency’s recommended action level of 4 picocuries per liter?

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Firearms Safety

• Are any firearms kept in or around your home?
• Are any of these firearms now loaded?
• Are any of these loaded firearms also unlocked? By unlocked, we mean you do not need a key or combination to get the gun or to fire it. We don't count a safety as a lock.
• Gun Ownership

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Sexual Violence (see results for 2018)

• 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 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)

• 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
• Cholesterol check within past five years
• Excessive Drinking
• Adults who have been told they have high blood pressure by a doctor, nurse, or other health professional (CDC calculated variable)
• Adults who have had their cholesterol checked and have been told by a doctor, nurse, or other health professional that it was high (CDC calculated variable)

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