2001 Northwest Tribal BRFSS Project
A Project Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Oregon Health and Sciences University (OHSU)
Principal Investigator:
Francine C. Romero, Epidemiologist
Co-investigator:
Kathleen McDavid, Epidemiologist, CDC
Technical Advisors:
Jay Friedman, CDC
Wyndi Amerson, CDC
Howie Goldberg, CDC
Purpose
In an effort to understand the types of health risk behaviors present among the tribal people of Portland Area (Oregon, Idaho and Washington), the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (NPAIHB) is conducting Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)-type surveys in seven (7) tribal communities.
Tribe Location Site Coordinator
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Pendleton, OR Brian Boltz
Klamath Tribes, Klamath Falls, OR Rich Rose
Lummi Nation , Bellingham, WA Kathy Charles
Makah Tribe, Neah Bay, WA Chris Jimmicum
Nez Perce Tribe, Lapwai, ID Leroy Seth
Nisqually Tribe, Olympia, WA Tom Jones
Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, Ft. Hall, ID Shirley Alvarez
Background
In 1984, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) established the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) for monitoring health risk behaviors. Since that time, all 50 states have conducted these surveys, as well as many tribes in the Northwest and elsewhere throughout the United States. It is estimated that twenty similar small-scale surveys, with between 300-500 respondents per survey, directed toward AI/AN groups have been carried out in different regions of the United States. The basic philosophy of the BRFSS is to collect data on health-related behaviors that would be useful for planning, initiating, monitoring, and evaluating health promotion and disease prevention programs.
Methods
The tribes were selected randomly from all tribes with at least 1,000 tribal members in the northwest Portland area. Within each tribe, we selected a simple random sample of up to 500 adult tribal community members over the age of 18 years from enrollment lists provided by each participating tribe. Data entry personnel and interviewers were hired within each community. Each interview included questions on:
Basic Demographics
Disability
Health Status and Health Care Utilization
Contraceptive Use
Exercise and Physical Activity
Prostate Cancer Screening
Hypertension Awareness
Colorectal Cancer Screening
Cholesterol Awareness
Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening
Asthma
Oral Health
Diabetes
Diet and Nutrition
Arthritis
Mental Health
Tobacco Use
Household Income Level
Alcohol Consumption
Drinking Water*
Demographics
Drug Use*
Privacy and Confidentiality
In conducting population-based surveys, particular attention must be paid to issues of privacy and confidentiality. The project staff was particularly careful to observe issues of privacy and confidentiality because of the relatively small sizes of the participating tribes. Each potential interviewee was first provided with an explanation of the purpose, general content, and time commitment involved in participating in the survey, and assurances of confidentiality. Each prospective participant was given the opportunity to ask any questions at the time of the interview, and was provided with the name and telephone number of the local contact person who could answer questions after the interview was completed. Each potential interviewee was free to decline participation and/or refuse to answer any specific question without incurring any penalties or loss of any benefits or services.
No personally identifying information was collected during the conduct of the interviews. Furthermore, once interviews were completed and the responses had been verified for completeness and internal consistency, all linkages to locating information was destroyed. Finally, no individual will be identified or identifiable in any report that is prepared based on the data collected as part of these surveys.
Final Report
Aggregate Final Report, December 2003 (2.12 MB Adobe Acrobat PDF)
