Binge alcohol use among women of childbearing age is derived
from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS),
which is a health survey conducted by 50 states, 3 territories,
and the District of Columbia, and is the primary source of
information on health-related behaviors of Americans. Questions
are related to chronic diseases, injuries, and infectious
diseases that can be prevented. States use standard procedures
to collect data through a series of monthly telephone interviews
with adults. The BRFSS questionnaire is developed jointly by
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health
departments and includes five sections. Alcohol use is part of a
rotating core of questions asked every other year.
Methodological changes to the BRFSS in 2011 have affected the
trends in prevalence estimates and they are not comparable to
earlier years. The changes include the addition of cellular
phones and improvements in the statistical weighting methods.
More info can be found on the CDC Web site. Th