[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 5 (Monday, January 8, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 816-818]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-00142]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30Day-18-1061]


Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has submitted the information 
collection request titled Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 
(BRFSS) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and 
approval. CDC previously published a ``Proposed Data Collection 
Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations'' notice on October 
16, 2017 to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies. CDC 
received one comment related to the previous notice. This notice serves 
to allow an additional 30 days for public and affected agency comments.
    CDC will accept all comments for this proposed information 
collection project. The Office of Management and Budget is particularly 
interested in comments that:
    (a) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
    (b) Evaluate the accuracy of the agencies estimate of the burden of 
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
    (c) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected;
    (d) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including, through the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting 
electronic submission of responses; and
    (e) Assess information collection costs.
    To request additional information on the proposed project or to 
obtain a copy of the information collection plan and instruments, call 
(404) 639-7570 or send an email to [email protected]. Direct written comments 
and/or suggestions regarding the items contained in this notice to the 
Attention: CDC Desk Officer, Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th 
Street NW, Washington, DC 20503 or by fax to (202) 395-5806. Provide 
written comments within 30 days of notice publication.

Proposed Project

    Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) (OMB Control 
Number 0920-1061, Expiration Date 3/31/

[[Page 817]]

2018)--Revision--National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and 
Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    CDC is requesting Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval to 
continue information collection for the Behavioral Risk Factor 
Surveillance System (BRFSS) for the period of 2018-2021. The BRFSS is a 
nationwide system of cross-sectional telephone health surveys 
administered by health departments in states, territories, and the 
District of Columbia (collectively referred to here as states) in 
collaboration with CDC.
    The BRFSS produces state-level information primarily on health risk 
behaviors, health conditions, and preventive health practices that are 
associated with chronic diseases, infectious diseases, and injury. 
Designed to meet the data needs of individual states and territories, 
the CDC sponsors the BRFSS information collection project under a 
cooperative agreement with states and territories. Under this 
partnership, BRFSS state coordinators determine questionnaire content 
with technical and methodological assistance provided by CDC. For most 
states and territories, the BRFSS provides the only sources of data 
amenable to state and local level health and health risk indicator 
uses. Over time, it has also developed into an important data 
collection system that federal agencies rely on for state and local 
health information and to track national health objectives such as 
Healthy People.
    CDC bases the BRFSS questionnaire on modular design principles to 
accommodate a variety of state-specific needs within a common 
framework. All participating states are required to administer a 
standardized core questionnaire, which provides a set of shared health 
indicators for all BRFSS partners. The BRFSS core questionnaire 
consists of fixed core, rotating core, and emerging core questions. 
Fixed core questions are asked every year. Rotating core questions 
cycle on and off the core questionnaire during even or odd years, 
depending on the question. Emerging core questions are included in the 
core questionnaire as needed to collect data on urgent or emerging 
health topics such as influenza.
    In addition, the BRFSS includes a series of optional modules on a 
variety of topics. In off years, when the rotating questions are not 
included in the core questionnaire, they are offered to states as an 
optional module. This framework allows each state to produce a 
customized BRFSS survey by appending selected optional modules to the 
core survey. States may select which, if any, optional modules to 
administer. As needed, CDC provides technical and methodological 
assistance to state BRFSS coordinators in the construction of their 
state-specific surveys. The CDC and BRFSS partners produce a new set of 
state-specific BRFSS questionnaires each calendar year (i.e., 2016 
BRFSS questionnaires, 2017 BRFSS questionnaires, etc.). CDC submits an 
annual Change Request to OMB that outlines updates to the BRFSS core 
survey and optional modules that have occurred since the previous year. 
Each state administers its BRFSS questionnaire throughout the calendar 
year.
    The current estimated average burden for the core BRFSS interview 
is 15 minutes. For the optional modules, the estimated average burden 
per response varies by state and year, but is currently estimated at an 
additional 15 minutes. Finally, the BRFSS allows states to customize 
some portions of the questionnaire through the addition of state-added 
questions, which CDC does not review nor approve. State-added questions 
are not included in CDC's burden estimates.
    CDC periodically updates the BRFSS core survey and optional modules 
as new modules or adopt emerging core questions. The purpose of this 
Revision request is to extend the information collection period for 
three years and to incorporate field-testing into the approved 
information collection plan.
    Field-testing is the final check of changes in the questionnaire, 
which have occurred in the preceding year. Researchers conduct field-
testing in a manner that mimics the full-scale project protocol, to the 
degree that is feasible. Field-testing allows for necessary changes in 
data collection methods and data collection software. Researchers use 
field tests to identify problems with instrument documentation or 
instructions, problems with conditional logic (e.g., skip patterns), 
software errors or other implementation and usability issues. 
Researchers conduct field-testing with all new modules, emerging core 
questions, sections, which precede and/or follow any new or changed 
items and extant sections, which are topically related. Researchers 
also conduct this testing to identify redundant and overlapping 
questions. Extant sections of the questionnaire unrelated to new items 
do not require testing. The demographic questions on the core BRFSS 
survey are included on each field test. CDC will submit change requests 
to OMB annually to gain approval to implement modifications identified 
in field tests. Researchers typically conduct field tests in a single 
state with appropriate computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) 
capability. Individuals who participate in field testing are drawn from 
a different sample than individuals who participate in the BRFSS 
surveys. Participation is voluntary and there is no cost to 
participate. The average time burden per response will be 22 minutes. 
The total time burden across all respondents will be approximately 
241,519 hours.
    The public comment received to date requested that BRFSS be 
modified to include more questions about tobacco use, including use of 
newer nicotine-delivery devices. Because BRFSS follows the design and 
development process described above, CDC cannot unilaterally change the 
topical content of BRFSS and no change has been made to the 2018 
questionnaire.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                     Number of    Average burden
          Type of respondents                   Form name            Number of     responses per   per response
                                                                    respondents     respondent      (in hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. General Population...............  Landline Screener.......         375,000               1            1/60
                                        Cell Phone Screener.....         292,682               1            1/60
                                        Field Test Screener.....             900               1            1/60
Annual Survey Respondents (Adults >18   BRFSS Core Survey.......         480,000               1           15/60
 Years).
                                        BRFSS Optional Modules..         440,000               1           15/60

[[Page 818]]

 
Field Test Respondents (Adults >18      Field Test Survey.......             500               1           45/60
 Years).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Leroy A. Richardson,
Chief, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Scientific 
Integrity, Office of the Associate Director for Science, Office of the 
Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2018-00142 Filed 1-5-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4163-18-P