DOI: 10.3886/e244591
title: Nationally Representative Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Cognitive Decline and Caregiver Datasets, 2019-2022

description: This code and corresponding data files are intended for use in cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) research. The two datasets include the
most recently available data from each state during 2019-2022 where a US state
participated in either the Cognitive Decline Module or the Caregiver Module. <br><br>All data are derived from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). BRFSS is a system of phone surveys that collect state data on health-related risk behaviors, chronic health conditions, and the use of preventive services in the U.S. adult population. BRFSS is conducted in three waves, or “versions,” each year. Core questionnaires from BRFSS must be asked of all respondents in each wave and are asked, with some exceptions, in all 50 U.S. states, D.C., and some U.S. territories. Individual states may opt to include additional optional modules, such as the Cognitive Decline Module and Caregiver Module, that may be asked in some or all the waves. Data is weighted to the state-level. Taken together, researchers can generate either state-level estimates or semi-nationally representative estimates when including all states. <br><br>Both datasets include: cleaned sociodemographic information on respondents’ state, age, sex, race, education, and marital status; general, mental, and physical health; and questions from either the Caregiver Module or the Cognitive Decline Module for all states who participated in the respective optional module. <br><br>Brief and detailed summaries of the variables available in these datasets along with more detailed descriptions of performed data cleaning can be found in the provided data dictionaries. The respective dictionaries also include tables showing which states, years, and versions are used. Note that for each dataset, there are 2-3 states that did not participate in the included years. SAS, Stata, and CSV data file formats are provided as are the full coding scripts used in Stata.
description: Users should set the weight to the final weight (_finalwt), strata should be set to the sample design stratification variable (_ststr), and cluster/PSU should be set to the primary sampling using (_psu).
description: Presence of Common Scales: Caregiver Module; Cognitive Decline Module
description: Complex survey data with a stratified, clustered sampling design, weighted to the state-level
description: U.S. and U.S. territory adults, weighted to the state level. Smallest Geographic Unit: U.S. State / territory
description: telephone interview; Users of this resource should be familiar with complex survey design and appropriately apply the sample weights, strata, and cluster/primary sampling unit for any analyses. Users should set the weight to the final weight (_finalwt), strata should be set to the sample design stratification variable (_ststr), and cluster/PSU should be set to the primary sampling using (_psu).  <br><br>Note that the Cognitive Decline Module was only asked of respondents age 45 and older.