Instructions

Your project will consist of 3 parts:

1. Data: Describe how the observations in the sample are collected, and the implications of this data collection method on the scope of inference (generalizability / causality). Note that you will need to look into documentation on the BRFSS to answer this question. See http://www.cdc.gov/brfss/ as well as the "More information on the data" section below.
2. Research questions: Come up with at least three research questions that you want to answer using these data. You should phrase your research questions in a way that matches up with the scope of inference your dataset allows for. Make sure that at least two of these questions involve at least three variables. You are welcomed to create new variables based on existing ones. With each question include a brief discussion as to why this question is of interest to you and/or your audience.
3. EDA: Perform exploratory data analysis (EDA) that addresses each of the three research questions you outlined above. Your EDA should contain numerical summaries and visualizations. Each R output and plot should be accompanied by a brief interpretation.

In addition to these parts, there are also 6 points allocated to format, overall organization, and readability of your project. Total points add up to 50 points. See the assessment rubric (provided above) for more details on how your peers will evaluate your work.

You can begin working on the project immediately. Please save your work as you go along. When you're ready to submit your work for evaluation, remember to click the "Submit" button.

After you submit your project, please provide feedback to others on their projects. Please assess at least 3 projects. This peer assessment will not only provide you with experience with a data set and research questions but also prepare for your projects in the future courses in the Specialization.

More information on the data

The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is a collaborative project between all of the states in the United States (US) and participating US territories and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The BRFSS is administered and supported by CDC's Population Health Surveillance Branch, under the Division of Population Health at the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. BRFSS is an ongoing surveillance system designed to measure behavioral risk factors for the non-institutionalized adult population (18 years of age and older) residing in the US. The BRFSS was initiated in 1984, with 15 states collecting surveillance data on risk behaviors through monthly telephone interviews. Over time, the number of states participating in the survey increased; by 2001, 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands were participating in the BRFSS. Today, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam collect data annually and American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau collect survey data over a limited point- in-time (usually one to three months). In this document, the term "state" is used to refer to all areas participating in BRFSS, including the District of Columbia, Guam, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

The BRFSS objective is to collect uniform, state-specific data on preventive health practices and risk behaviors that are linked to chronic diseases, injuries, and preventable infectious diseases that affect the adult population. Factors assessed by the BRFSS in 2013 include tobacco use, HIV/AIDS knowledge and prevention, exercise, immunization, health status, healthy days health-related quality of life, health care access, inadequate sleep, hypertension awareness, cholesterol awareness, chronic health conditions, alcohol consumption, fruits and vegetables consumption, arthritis burden, and seatbelt use. Since 2011, BRFSS conducts both landline telephone- and cellular telephone-based surveys. In conducting the BRFSS landline telephone survey, interviewers collect data from a randomly selected adult in a household. In conducting the cellular telephone version of the BRFSS questionnaire, interviewers collect data from an adult who participates by using a cellular telephone and resides in a private residence or college housing.

Health characteristics estimated from the BRFSS pertain to the non-institutionalized adult population, aged 18 years or older, who reside in the US. In 2013, additional question sets were included as optional modules to provide a measure for several childhood health and wellness indicators, including asthma prevalence for people aged 17 years or younger.

Data and instructions locate it in this link:

I have the brfss2013.RDATA

need to use RStudio which is a free compiler for R language.