BRFS - Which Module Should I Use?

To obtain state or regional single-year or trend estimates, or estimates for counties with mid-size or large populations for a single year, use the State, Regions and Selected Counties (Trend Data) module. This module provides estimates for the state, DHS regions and many counties for the years 2000 and later. Data in the Trends module are weighted to the state's overall adult population. For counties with small populations, select multiple years to reach the threshold of 100 interviews required to calculate reliable estimates.

The All Counties module provides estimates for three-year periods and was designed to provide a consistent set of measures for all 72 counties, weighted to each county's adult population. The county weighting feature is potentially of greater importance to small counties with populations that differ demographically from the statewide adult population, compared to large counties, which are more likely to resemble the state as a whole. Those interested in mid-size counties may also find the county-weighted estimates useful. In general, differences in estimates based on the two types of weighting will be greater for small counties than large counties.

Ultimately, differences in the available measures may be the overriding factor in deciding whether to use the Trends module or the All Counties module. However, please note that in comparing counties to each other it is advisable to make the comparisons with data from either the Trends module OR the All Counties module, and not mix the two.