The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) announced it has launched a new dashboard for its Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), now available on the KDHE website. This tool makes it easier to view and access data collected through the BRFSS survey, which has been important for shaping health policy in Kansas since 1990.
The BRFSS survey, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is conducted every year and gathers essential health information from a sample of Kansas adults. The new dashboard allows users to explore this data in a more interactive and user-friendly way.
Key features of the BRFSS Dashboard include:
- Interactive Data Visualization: Users can choose different data categories from a drop-down menu to see specific health metrics for various regions in Kansas. Additionally, data for several more populated counties are available, allowing for county-level analysis where there is enough information.
- Visual Cues for Interpretation: The map uses different shades of blue to indicate the severity or prevalence of health issues.
- Detailed data insights: The dashboard organizes data into quartiles, providing a clear visual representation of health trends. This tool allows users to quickly spot areas of concern and monitor changes over time.
- Enhanced accessibility: The dashboard was created to help public health professionals, researchers, and community members easily access and understand BRFSS data.
The BRFSS survey is essential for evaluating health needs, identifying health issues, planning health programs, and monitoring changes in health behaviors and diseases. Each year, KDHE aims to conduct between 15,000 and 16,000 surveys with randomly selected adults in Kansas. KDHE encourages all eligible Kansans to participate in the BRFSS survey and check out the new data dashboard to stay updated on health trends in the state.
