Final answer:
The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is a program by the CDC that assesses health through surveys and physical exams, offering extensive data for health professionals to analyze health trends and disparities.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) assesses the health of adults and children in the U.S. and combines physical exams with interviews and biological samples. The BRFSS, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in collaboration with local health departments, is considered the world's largest telephone survey. It provides extensive data on health and healthcare of Americans. Alongside collecting data via survey questions about physical and mental health, such as the number of Healthy Days a respondent experiences, the BRFSS data can be mapped geographically to analyze health trends at various scales, from county level to state level. This data is also made available in formats usable in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), which assist health geographers in addressing health-related issues.
Epidemiologists and health professionals utilize the BRFSS data for different applications, including identifying disparities in health and strategizing interventions geared towards various communities, such as African Americans. For example, the survey measures employed by the American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment (ACHA-NCHA) are critiqued for not providing a holistic, culturally tailored health report. Therefore, alternatives and improved methodology are necessary to effectively reduce health inequities and promote quality of life improvements across diverse populations.