Why were MMSAs chosen rather than another type of local jurisdiction?
MMSAs were chosen because they represent geographic areas that meet standard definitions established by the U. S. Office of Management and Budget, which are used by the Census Bureau and other federal, state, and local governmental entities. MMSAs are composed of counties and the BRFSS collects data about county of residence. This county information allows the reporting of information by MMSAs. Analyzing data by another type of jurisdiction, such as city or township, would require modification to the BRFSS questionnaire.
