Conducting a BRFS survey of Arab/Chaldean population in Michigan

Conducting a Behavioral Risk Factor Survey (BRFS) oversampling for minority population groups poses considerable challenges.  The major telephone sampling companies (SSI, MSG (Genesys)) have developed surname databases that draw probability samples of Hispanic/Latinos and Asian American groups based on directory listed numbers of subscribers whose surnames match those in the sampling companies’ databases.  These companies have not built such infrastructure for Arab/Chaldean Americans because the US Census classifies them as White and they are not often the subject of minority health surveys.   The Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH), Wayne State University (WSU), Michigan State University (MSU) and the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) collaborated to develop and implement a Behavioral Risk Factor Survey of Arab/Chaldean Americans in Michigan.   Telephone interviews were completed in both Arabic and English based on an Arab/Chaldean surname list developed for WSU cancer epidemiology studies (Schwartz et al, 2014).  Survey researchers at MSU drew a probability sample from Michigan phone directories.  The approach was very efficient overall, with yield rates for three different geographic strata closely matching the expected yields based on Census profiles of tracts.  It was also relatively inexpensive and addressed non-coverage issues in the context of cost considerations.  The telephone survey produced the desired 400 interviews with Arab/Chaldean residents of Michigan.  Roughly half of the surveys were completed in Arabic.  The surname database and approach appear to be sufficiently robust to allow for collaborative health studies of Arab/Chaldean communities by state, city and federal agencies.