Survey shows Alaskans are drinking and smoking less

ANCHORAGE – Results of the 2016 Alaska Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey show Alaska made progress on some important health goals, including reducing tobacco and risky alcohol use.

The Alaska BRFSS survey is conducted every year by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Alaska Division of Public Health. It is the only source for statewide data on health risk factors, prevalence of chronic diseases, and healthy lifestyle choices. The survey is essential for assessing the health of Alaska adults and the effectiveness of health promotion programs.

Nationwide, the BRFSS survey is conducted in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and several U.S. territories. It is the longest-running and largest telephone health survey in the world.

Alaska’s survey results help measure the state’s progress to meet 10-year health goals set by the Healthy Alaskans 2020 program. This cooperative effort with the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium sets ambitious, yet achievable, goals to improve the health of all Alaskans by 2020.

Highlights from the 2016 Alaska BRFSS survey include:

Smoking: Eighty percent of all Alaska adults are not current smokers, up from 76 percent in 2007 and close to the Healthy Alaskans 2020 goal of 83 percent non-smokers in Alaska. According to the survey, 61 percent of Alaska Native adults are not current smokers.Binge drinking: Eighteen percent of Alaska adults reported binge drinking, meeting the Healthy Alaskans 2020 target of 20 percent or lower. Twenty-one percent of Alaska Native adults reported binge drinking. Survey results showed significant differences in binge drinking between males (22 percent) and females (15 percent) in 2016. Binge drinking is defined as consuming at least five alcoholic drinks for men or four alcoholic drinks for women on one occasion in the past 30 days.Access to quality healthcare: The survey asked: “Was there a time in the past 12 months when you needed to see a doctor but could not because of cost?” According to survey results, 13 percent of Alaska adults and 10 percent of Alaska Native adults were unable to see a doctor due to cost in the past 12 months. That is a significant decrease from the 2007 result of 16 percent of Alaska adults, and meets the Healthy Alaskans 2020 target of 14 percent.

The survey also revealed areas for improvement, including:

Obesity: Thirty-one percent of Alaska adults and 38 percent of Alaska Native adults are obese, based on Body Mass Index, which is determined from height and weight. This is higher than the Healthy Alaskans 2020 target of 27 percent. In 2007, survey results found 28 percent of Alaska adults were obese.

“In some areas Alaska is on the right track as we make positive strides to reduce tobacco and alcohol use, and increase access to quality healthcare,” said Dr. Jay Butler, the state’s chief medical officer and director of public health. “Alaska still has work to do, both to meet our state’s health goals, and, more importantly, to address issues such as obesity, which contributes to the poor health of many Alaskans. The Alaska BRFSS helps us better understand the health challenges being faced by Alaskans and evaluate our efforts aimed at addressing them.”

Alaska has conducted the BRFSS annually since 1991. In 2016, 7,381 health interviews were conducted in Alaska by telephone (landline and cell phone) using a random sample of telephone numbers. One adult age 18 or older completed the survey from each household contacted. Results are reflective of Alaska’s entire adult population.