Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System is one of Maine’s standard health behavior surveillance systems, data from which informs policy development, program planning, and other public health interventions for chronic disease prevention. This project will assist the Maine BRFSS coordinator and the Maine CDC to achieve BRFSS objectives. Muskie School staff will update the BRFSS interactive web query as well as maintain multiple-year standardized datasets, add the most recent year of data, and update documentation. Muskie staff will also perform other analyses as necessary, including multivariate and trend analyses to help the Maine CDC better understand prevalence, risk factors and disease management for health behaviors and conditions (such as diabetes, asthma, and cardiovascular disease) that impose a heavy burden on the residents of Maine and its health care system.

This study will examine the impact of program cost sharing features on the access to care for low income persons and populations who face particular barriers to care due to pre-existing health conditions. The Muskie School is seeking the cooperation of the states of Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire in making this study feasible. Such cooperation would require assisting the research team in accessing claims and administrative databases for persons enrolled in the state access initiatives.

The goals of this cooperative agreement are to build and enhance the capacity of Maine State government, the University of Southern Maine, and Maine's public health systems to improve the health of Maine's population. Project goals objectives address 1) expanding and coordinating public health research and evaluation, 2) developing and piloting model program systems, 3)building human resource capacity for program performance, and 4) designing and delivering new education and training programs to support the developemnt of public health leadership and a more effective professional public health workforce.