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Chronic diseases
account for the majority of mortality, morbidity, and disability in the United
States. More than 15 percent of the adult population suffers from a chronic
disabling condition, such as arthritis, heart disease, hypertension, or
diabetes. Direct health care costs for people with chronic conditions account
for 75 percent of the total national expenditure for health care. Behaviors
that lead to many chronic diseases, such as smoking, unhealthy diet, lack of
physical activity, and alcohol use, account for approximately 800,000 deaths in
the United States annually. In Florida, almost one of every three deaths was
due to heart disease and almost one of every four deaths was due to cancer in
2002. The prolonged course of illness and disability from chronic diseases
results in extended pain, suffering, and diminished quality of life for
thousands of Floridians and their families.
The
Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Surveillance, and Evaluation section in the Bureau
of Epidemiology plays very important roles in
monitoring and evaluating chronic disease conditions among Floridians through
several population-based surveillance systems:
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Project
is a
state-wide surveillance project to obtain reliable and timely information on the
incidence and prevalence of the disease, to better describe the demographic
characteristics of persons affected by ALS, and to assist the Agency of Toxic
Substances and Disease Registry (ASTDR) in evaluating the completeness of the
National ALS Registry.
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)
is a rolling telephone survey of Florida adults on a wide range of health issues
including, but not limited to: physical activity, diet, tobacco and alcohol use,
HIV/AIDS, asthma, diabetes, and cancer screenings. This survey has been
conducted annually since 1986 in Florida. Data from this survey have been used
for health planning, program evaluation, and monitoring health objectives in
Florida.
Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) BRFSS
is a
rolling telephone survey of Florida adults in
Miami-Dade, Orange and Pinellas Counties on
a wide range of
health issues including, but not limited to, physical activity, diet, tobacco
use, and diabetes.
This survey was conducted in 2010 to develop baseline data and will be conducted
again in 2012 to assess the effectiveness of communities' locally implemented
chronic disease prevention programs in the intervening time-period.
Florida's Statewide Cancer Registry
has been fully
operational since 1981 to collect accurate, complete, and timely data from all
facilities and practitioners diagnosing and treating cancer. Cancer registry
data are made available for public and research uses to better understand the
disease and to reduce the morbidity and mortality.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
Surveillance project is an epidemiological assessment to determine the overall
prevalence of Crohn's Disease and ulcerative colitis within Florida by
identifying the affected population's demographics and assessing the role of
genetic and/or environmental factors in the development of these illnesses.
This research is mandated by the "Crohn's and Colitis Disease Research Act"
which began in July 2005 and will conclude February 2006.
Florida Youth Tobacco Survey (FYTS)
is a
self-administrated, confidential, school-based survey of Florida public middle
and high school students annually starting from 1998. The purpose of FYTS is to
monitor and evaluate progress of Florida's tobacco control program. The data
collected in this survey include the following subject areas: tobacco usage;
tobacco use prevention education in school; students' thoughts about tobacco
use; influence of anti-tobacco media and influence from tobacco companies;
secondhand smoke exposure; and perceptions of tobacco laws among youth.
Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS)
is an ongoing,
random survey, followed up by a phone interview if no response from survey, of
mothers of Florida newborns. This survey has been conducted annually since 1993
in Florida. It is designed to provide information about risk factors for
adverse health outcomes before, during, and after pregnancy for mother and
newborn.
Youth Risk Behavior Surveys (MSHBS and YRBS)
MSHBS is a self-administrated, confidential,
school-based survey of Florida public middle school students every odd-numbered
year since 2009. The data collected in this survey include the following
subject areas: unintentional injuries and violence; tobacco use; alcohol and
other drug use; dietary behaviors; and physical activity.
YRBS is a self-administrated, confidential,
school-based survey of Florida public high school students every odd-numbered
year since 1991. Since 2001, the increased response rates have facilitated
analyses of the YRBS data to produce state-level prevalence. The data collected
in this survey include the following subject areas: unintentional injuries and
violence; tobacco use; alcohol and other drug use; sexual behaviors; dietary
behaviors; and physical activity.
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