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Calendar Year 2022 Results

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)

2022 BRFSS Topics for North Carolina

BRFSS 2022 Annual Results Technical Notes

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Health Status (see results for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)

• Would you say that in general your health is:
• General Health Indicator

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Healthy Days (see results for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)

• 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, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)

• Do you have any kind of health care coverage, including health insurance, prepaid plans such as HMOs, or government plans such as Medicare, or Indian Health Service?
• 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?
• Health Insurance Coverage (Under Age 65)
• Health Insurance Coverage for Those Employed for Wages (Under Age 65)
• Do you have one person or a group of doctors that you think of as your personal health care provider?
• Was there a time in the past 12 months when you needed to see a doctor but could not because you could not afford it?
• A routine checkup is a general physical exam, not an exam for a specific injury, illness, or condition. About how long has it been since you last visited a doctor for a routine checkup??
• What is the current primary source of your health care coverage?
• Health care coverage status past 12 months

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Exercise (see results for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)

• 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, 2018, 2020)

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

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Oral Health (see results for 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020)

• 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)
• In the past year, have you had a dentist or dental hygienist check for oral cancer by pulling on your tongue with gauze wrapped around it, feeling under the tongue and inside the cheeks, and checking the back of your throat?

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Chronic Health Conditions (see results for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)

Has a doctor, nurse, or other health professional EVER told you that you had any of the following?

• (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 that is not melanoma?
• (Ever told) you had any melanoma or any other types of cancer?
• (Ever told) you have (COPD) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema or chronic bronchitis?
• (Ever told) you have a depressive disorder, including depression, major depression, dysthymia, or minor depression?
• Not including kidney stones, bladder infection or incontinence, were you ever told you had kidney disease?
• (Ever told) you have some form of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lupus, or fibromyalgia?
• (Ever told) you have diabetes?
• How old were you when you were told you had diabetes?
• Summary Index of Chronic Health Conditions

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Demographics (Disability Questions) (see results for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)

• 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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Breast & Cervical Cancer Screening (see results for 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020)

• 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)
• Have you ever had a cervical cancer screening test?
• At your most recent cervical cancer screening, did you have an H.P.V. test?
• At your most recent cervical cancer screening, did you have a Pap test?
• Have you had a hysterectomy?

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Colorectal Cancer Screening (see results for 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020)

• Colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy are exams to check for colon cancer. Have you ever had either of these exams?
• How long has it been since your most recent colonoscopy?
• How long has it been since your most recent sigmoidoscopy?
• Have you ever had any other kind of test for colorectal cancer, such as virtual colonoscopy, CT colonography, blood stool test, FIT DNA, or Cologuard test?
• A virtual colonoscopy uses a series of X-rays to take pictures of inside the colon. Have you ever had a virtual colonoscopy?
• How long has it been since you had this test?* (virtual colonoscopy)
• Another test uses a special kit to obtain a small amount of stool at home to determine whether the stool contains blood and returns the kit to the doctor or the lab. Have you ever had this test using a home kit?
• How long has it been since you had this test?* (Blood Stool Test)
• Another test uses a special kit to obtain an entire bowel movement at home and returns the kit to a lab. Have you ever had this test?
• How long has it been since you had this test?* (Stool DNA test)
• Respondents age 45-75 who have had a blood stool test within the past year. (CDC calculated variable)
• Respondents age 45-75 that have had a colonoscopy within the past ten years. (CDC calculated variable)
• Respondents aged 45-75 who have had a sigmoidoscopy within the past ten years and a blood stool test in the past year. (CDC calculated variable)
• Respondents age 45-75 that have had a sigmoidoscopy within the past five years. (CDC calculated variable)
• Respondents age 45-75 that have had a sigmoidoscopy within the past ten years. (CDC calculated variable)
• Respondents age 45-75 that have had a stool DNA test within the past three years. (CDC calculated variable)
• Respondents aged 45-75 who have fully met the USPSTF recommendations. (CDC calculated variable)

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Tobacco Use (see results for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)

• Have you smoked at least 100 cigarettes in your entire life?
• Do you now smoke cigarettes everyday, some days, or not at all?
• Do you currently use chewing tobacco or snuff every day, some days, or not at all?
• Would you say you have never used e-cigarettes or other electronic vaping products in your entire life or now use them every day, use them some days, or used them in the past but do not currently use them at all?
• E-Cigarette/Vaping Status
• Smoking Status
• Current Smoker
• Use of Multiple Tobacco Products
• Use of Any Tobacco Product

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Lung Cancer Screening (see results for 2019)

• 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?
• The next question is about CT or CAT scans of your chest area. During this test, you lie flat on your back and are moved through an open, donut shaped x-ray machine. Have you ever had a CT or CAT scan of your chest area?
• Were any of the CT or CAT scans of your chest area done mainly to check or screen for lung cancer?
• Number of Pack Years

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Alcohol Consumption (see results for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)

• 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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Immunization (see results for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)

• 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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H.I.V/AIDS (see results for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)

• Including fluid testing from your mouth, but not including tests you may have had for blood donation, have you ever been tested for H.I.V?
• Not including blood donations, in what month and year was your last H.I.V. test?
• 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?

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Long-Term COVID Effects

• Has a doctor, nurse, or other health professional ever told you that you tested positive for COVID 19?
• Did you have any symptoms lasting 3 months or longer that you did not have prior to having coronavirus or COVID-19?
• Which of the following was the primary symptom that you experienced?

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COVID Vaccination (see results for 2021)

• Have you received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccination?
• Would you say you will definitely get a vaccine, will probably get a vaccine, will probably not get a vaccine, will definitely not get a vaccine, or are you not sure?*
• How many COVID-19 vaccinations have you received?*
• COVID-19 Vaccination Status/Intention (Full Demographics)

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Cancer Survivorship: Type of Cancer (see results for 2019, 2020)

• You’ve told us that you have had cancer. I would like to ask you a few more questions about your cancer. How many different types of cancer have you had?
• At what age were you told that you had cancer?
• What type of cancer was it?

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Cancer Survivorship: Course of Treatment (see results for 2020)

• Are you currently receiving treatment for cancer?
• What type of doctor provides the majority of your health care?
• Did any doctor, nurse, or other health professional ever give you a written summary of all the cancer treatments that you received?
• Have you ever received instructions from a doctor, nurse, or other health professional about where you should return or who you should see for routine cancer checkups after completing your treatment for cancer?
• Were these instructions written down or printed on paper for you?
• With your most recent diagnosis of cancer, did you have health insurance that paid for all or part of your cancer treatment?
• Were you ever denied health insurance or life insurance coverage because of your cancer?
• Did you participate in a clinical trial as part of your cancer treatment?

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Social Determinants and Health Equity

• In general, how satisfied are you with your life?
• How often do you get the social and emotional support you need?
• How often do you feel socially isolated from others?
• In the past 12 months have you lost employment or had hours reduced?
• During the past 12 months, have you received food stamps, also called SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program on an EBT card?
• During the past 12 months how often did the food that you bought not last, and you didn’t have money to get more?
• During the last 12 months, was there a time when you were not able to pay your mortgage, rent or utility bills?
• Were you not able to pay utility bills or threatened to lose service?
• During the past 12 months has a lack of reliable transportation kept you from medical appointments, meetings, work, or from getting things needed for daily living?
• Stress means a situation in which a person feels tense, restless, nervous, or anxious, or is unable to sleep at night because his/her mind is troubled all the time. Within the last 30 days, how often have you felt this kind of stress?

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Other Tobacco Use

• Currently, when you smoke cigarettes, do you usually smoke menthol cigarettes?
• Currently, when you use e-cigarettes, do you usually use menthol e-cigarettes?
• Before today, have you heard of heated tobacco products?

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Family Planning (see results for 2011, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)

• 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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Reactions to Race (see results for 2021)

• How do other people usually classify you in this country? Would you say White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, American Indian or Alaska Native, or some other group?
• How often do you think about your race? Would you say never, once a year, once a month, once a week, once a day, once an hour, or constantly?
• Within the past 12 months, do you feel that in general you were treated worse than, the same as, or better than people of other races?
• Within the past 12 months at work, do you feel you were treated worse than, the same as, or better than people of other races?
• Within the past 12 months when seeking health care, do you feel your experiences were worse than, the same as, or better than for people of other races?
• Within the past 30 days, have you experienced any physical symptoms, for example, a headache, an upset stomach, tensing of your muscles, or a pounding heart, as a result of how you were treated based on your race?

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Secondhand Smoke (see results for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)

• On how many of the past 7 days, did someone smoke in your indoor workplace while you were there?
• 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, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)

• 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, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)

• 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?
• During the past 12 months, have you stopped smoking for one day or longer because you were trying to quit smoking?

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Sugar Sweetened Beverages (see results for 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021)

• During the past 30 days, how often did you drink regular soda or pop that contains sugar? Do not include diet soda or diet pop.
• 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)? Do not include 100% fruit juice, diet drinks, or artificially sweetened drinks.
• HNC2030 sugar-sweetened beverage indicator

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Cardiovascular Health (see results for 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018, 2020)

• 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.

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Heart Attack and Stroke

• If you thought someone was having a heart attack or a stroke, what is the first thing you would do?

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Diabetes Control (see results for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020)

• 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?
• Urine tests for protein (microalbuminuria test) check if your kidneys are working properly. When was the last time that you received a urine test for protein?
• Has a doctor ever told you that diabetes has affected your kidneys?
• Including times when checked by a family member or friend, about how often do you check your feet for any sores or irritations?
• When was the last time you had an eye exam in which the pupils were dilated, making you temporarily sensitive to bright light?

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Marijuana Use

• During the past 30 days, on how many days did you use marijuana or cannabis?
• When you used marijuana or cannabis during the past 30 days, was it usually:

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Derived Variables and Risk Factors (see results for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)

• 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
• Respondents aged 50-75 who have fully met the USPSTF recommendations.* (CDC calculated variable.)
• Excessive Drinking

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