Partnerships to collect tribal BRFSS data

Tribal populations are underrepresented in BRFSS data at both state and national levels, making it difficult for Tribes to prioritize health concerns and develop appropriate preventive interventions. Building on the success of several efforts in Northwestern states to collect BRFSS data among area tribes, a tribal community in New Mexico administered the BRFSS to 500 resident and enrolled tribal members, 18 years and older, using a face-to-face survey process. A randomized sample of community members was drawn from tribal enrollment records. Interviews were conducted by tribal members; trained in the BRFSS survey protocol and familiar with community dynamics and language. In addition to the standard state-level question modules, additional questions, specific to the community, were added. Surveys were administered in person using a pre-programmed laptop computer. Respondents were given the option of inputting responses to more sensitive questions directly into the computer. Preliminary findings indicate many similarities and several important differences between the tribal findings and the state's data. Tobacco use may be much lower than the statewide average (3.2% vs. 17.2%), while diabetes prevalence may be much higher (16.4% vs 8.3%). Completed and comparative findings will be presented along with a discussion of the process of conducting tribal BRFSS surveys in a way that can be replicated by other tribal communities.