BRFSS. The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. The BRFSS is a telephone survey that started in 1984, the BRFSS is conducted in all U.S. states, and about 400 thousand interviews are performed each year. The BRFSS is one of the most extensive health Surveys worldwide. The BRFSS surveys adults 18 and up by random digit dialing survey looking at behavioral risks. (such as tobacco, nutrition, health insurance, and  cancer screening, for example) BRFSS helps identify which groups are at the highest risk. How effective are public health programs over time? Information from BRFSS educates the public and policymakers. Information from BRFSS works not only to help shape individual behavioral change but also community and institutional change. The BRFSS is sponsored by the CDC and other federal agencies such as the Health Resources and Services Administration, Administration on Aging, Department of Veterans Affairs, and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The BRFSS serves as a model for multiple other countries embarking on similar strategies in public health planning by gathering survey data on behavioral risk.

Reference: 

https://www.cdc.gov/brfss/about/index.htm