Date: June 7 2021
Summary: A systematic review to determine the reliability and validity of the BRFSS
Keywords: #brfss #survey #reliability #validity #reports #archive
C. Pierannunzi, S. S. Hu, and L. Balluz, "A systematic review of publications assessing reliability and validity of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), 2004–2011," BMC Med Res Methodol, vol. 13, no. 1, p. 49, Dec. 2013, doi: 10.1186/1471-2288-13-49.
Reduction of non-response bias through the introduction of new weighting techniques. [1] QUESTION: What is non-response bias and how do you adjust for that?
High reliable papers included:
Conducted reliability tests using repeated test/retest measures
Used multiple samples/populations
Used multiple time periods.
Ran statistical tests
How authors achieved higher validity by:
Comparing BRFSS to physical measures.
Self-report on chronic conditions between BRFSS and surveys are highly reliable.
As time between conducting the same survey lapses, reliability for some questions decrease when re-asked. [2]
Sometimes, self-reports from the BRFSS were very reliable but prevalence differed. QUESTION: What does it mean when self-reports are highly reliable and prevalence rates still differ? Seems really strange and I am not sure why this would happen...
Similarities between BRFSS and other surveys using self-reports persisted across different modes of reporting like phone calls or in-person interviews. Researchers observed BRFSS reliability and validity for some cohorts but not for others. [3]
All surveys consistently showed the proportion of respondents indicating general health to be "excellent" was declining. RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY
BRFSS physical activity measures and responses were compared sometimes to physical device measures.Prevalence variation estimates found occasionally; trends similar when comparing survey results over time. QUESTION: Interesting how with devices prevalences did vary but trends were found to be similar across demographics. I wonder what reports did that? I'll stick a pin in this for now.
Zelko, Jacob. A Systematic Review of Publications Assessing Reliability and Validity of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). https://jacobzelko.com/06072021202628-brfss-systematic-review. June 7 2021.
[1] D. G. Altman and J. M. Bland, “Diagnostic tests. 1: Sensitivity and specificity.” BMJ, vol. 308, no. 6943, p. 1552, 1994.
[2] M. M. Yore et al., “Reliability and validity of the instrument used in BRFSS to assess physical activity.” Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., vol. 39, no. 8, pp. 1267–1274, 2007.
[3] L. A. Mucci, P. A. Wood, B. Cohen, K. M. Clements, P. Brawarsky, and D. R. Brooks, “Validity of self-reported health plan information in a population-based health survey,” J. Public Health Manag. Pract., vol. 12, no. 6, pp. 570–577, 2006.