Summary health statistics for U.S. adults: national health interview survey, 2012.

OBJECTIVES: This report presents detailed tables from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) for the civilian noninstitutionalized adult population, classified by sex, age, race and Hispanic origin, education, current employment status, family income, poverty status, health insurance coverage, marital status, and place and region of residence. Estimates (frequencies and percentages) are presented for selected chronic conditions and mental health characteristics, functional limitations, health status, health behaviors, health care access and utilization, and human immunodeficiency virus testing. Percentages and percent distributions are presented in both age-adjusted and unadjusted versions. DATA SOURCE: NHIS is a household, multistage probability sample survey conducted annually by interviewers of the U.S. Census Bureau for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. In 2012, data were collected on 34,525 adults in the Sample Adult questionnaire. The conditional response rate was 79.7%, and the final response rate was 61.2%. The health information for adults in this report was obtained from one randomly selected adult per family. HIGHLIGHTS: In 2012, 61% of adults aged 18 and over had excellent or very good health. Eleven percent of adults had been told by a doctor or other health professional that they had heart disease, 24% had been told on two or more visits that they had hypertension, 9% had been told that they had diabetes, and 21% had been told that they had some for of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lupus, or fibromyalgia. Eighteen percent of adults were current smokers and 21% were former smokers. Based on estimates of body mass index, 35% of adults were overweight and 28% were obese.

Declines in Telemedicine Use Among Adults: United States, 2021 and 2022.

Objectives-This report examines changes in telemedicine use among U.S. adults between 2021 and 2022 by selected sociodemographic and geographic characteristics. Methods-Data from the 2021 and 2022 National Health Interview Survey were used to assess changes between these 2 years in the percentage of adults who used telemedicine in the previous 12 months, by sex, age, race and Hispanic origin, family income, education, region of residence, urbanization level, and health insurance coverage. Results-Overall, the percentage of adults who used telemedicine in the past 12 months decreased from 37.0% in 2021 to 30.1% in 2022. This pattern was observed across several sociodemographic and geographic characteristics, such as sex, family income, education, region, and urbanization level. Women, adults with a college degree or higher, and adults living in more urban areas were all more likely to use telemedicine in 2022. In 2021 and 2022, uninsured adults ages 18-64 were less likely to use telemedicine compared with those who had private or public insurance, while adults age 65 and older who had Medicare only were less likely to use telemedicine compared with those with other types of insurance. However, for both age groups, telemedicine use decreased from 2021 to 2022 for all insurance types except public coverage for adults ages 18-64. Summary-National Health Interview Survey data may be used to monitor national trends and understand patterns of telemedicine use by sociodemographic and geographic characteristics as the transition forward from the global COVID-19 pandemic continues.

Summary health statistics for u.s. Adults: national health interview survey, 2011.

Objectives-This report presents health statistics from the 2011 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) for the civilian noninstitutionalized adult population, classified by sex, age, race and Hispanic origin, education, family income, poverty status, health insurance coverage, marital status, and place and region of residence. Estimates (frequencies and percentages) are presented for selected chronic conditions and mental health characteristics, functional limitations, health status, health behaviors, health care access and utilization, and human immunodeficiency virus testing. Percentages and percent distributions are presented in both age-adjusted and unadjusted versions. Data Source-NHIS is a household, multistage probability sample survey conducted annually by interviewers of the U.S. Census Bureau for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. In 2011, data were collected on 33,014 adults in the Sample Adult questionnaire. The conditional response rate was 81.6%, and the final response rate was 66.3%. The health information for adults in this report was obtained from one randomly selected adult per family. In very rare instances where the sample adult was not able to respond for himself or herself, a proxy was used. Highlights-In 2011, 61% of adults aged 18 and over had excellent or very good health. Eleven percent of adults had been told by a doctor or other health professional that they had heart disease, 24% had been told on two or more visits that they had hypertension, 9% had been told that they had diabetes, and 22% had been told that they had some form of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lupus, or fibromyalgia. Nineteen percent of adults were current smokers, and 21% were former smokers. Based on estimates of body mass index, 34% of adults were overweight and 28% were obese.

Summary health statistics for U.S. adults: National Health Interview Survey, 2010.

OBJECTIVES: This report presents health statistics from the 2010 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) for the civilian noninstitutionalized adult population, classified by sex, age, race and Hispanic origin, education, family income, poverty status, health insurance coverage, marital status, and place and region of residence. Estimates are presented for selected chronic conditions and mental health characteristics, functional limitations, health status, health behaviors, health care access and utilization, and human immunodeficiency virus testing. Percentages and percent distributions are presented in both age-adjusted and unadjusted versions. DATA SOURCE: NHIS is a household, multistage probability sample survey conducted annually by interviewers of the U.S. Census Bureau for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. In 2010, data were collected on 27,157 adults in the Sample Adult questionnaire. The conditional response rate was 77.3%, and the final response rate was 60.8%. The health information for adults in this report was obtained from one randomly selected adult per family. In very rare instances where the sample adult was not able to respond for himself or herself, a proxy was used. HIGHLIGHTS: In 2010, 61% of adults aged 18 years and over had excellent or very good health. Twelve percent of adults had been told by a doctor or health professional that they had heart disease, 25% had been told on two or more visits that they had hypertension, 9% had been told they had diabetes, and 22% had been told they had some form of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lupus, or fibromyalgia. Twenty-one percent of adults were current smokers, and 21% were former smokers. Based on estimates of body mass index, 35% of adults were overweight and 27% were obese.

Telemedicine Use Among Adults: United States, 2021.

Telemedicine is a way for health care providers to deliver clinical health care to patients remotely through a computer or telephone, without an in-person office visit (1). The demonstrated benefits of telemedicine include improved access to care, convenience, and slowing spread of infection (1,2). During the COVID-19 pandemic, legislation expanded coverage for telemedicine health care services (3). This report uses 2021 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data to describe the percentage of adults who used telemedicine in the past 12 months by sociodemographic and geographic characteristics.

Telemedicine Use in Children Aged 0-17 Years: United States, July-December 2020.

Objective-This report presents national estimates of telemedicine use for U.S. children in the 12 months before the interview, and because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Back, Lower Limb, and Upper Limb Pain Among U.S. Adults, 2019.

Location-specific pain, such as back, neck, arm, and hip pain is associated with short- and long-term health effects, ranging from minor discomfort to musculoskeletal impairment (1), diminished quality of life (2), and escalating health care costs (3). Existing studies of location-specific pain are mostly limited to small or special populations with limited generalizability (4-6). This report provides national estimates of any pain regardless of body region as well as estimates of back, lower limb (hips, knees, or feet), and upper limb (hands, arms, or shoulders) pain in the past 3 months among U.S. adults aged 18 and over by selected sociodemographic characteristics.

Summary health statistics for U.S. adults: National Health Interview Survey, 2009.

OBJECTIVES: This report presents health statistics from the 2009 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) for the civilian noninstitutionalized adult population, classified by sex, age, race and ethnicity, education, family income, poverty status, health insurance coverage, marital status, and place and region of residence. Estimates are presented for selected chronic conditions and mental health characteristics, functional limitations, health status, health behaviors, health care access and utilization, and human immunodeficiency virus testing. Percentages and percent distributions are presented in both age-adjusted and unadjusted versions. DATA SOURCE: NHIS is a household, multistage probability sample survey conducted annually by interviewers of the U.S. Census Bureau for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. In 2009, data were collected on 27,731 adults in the Sample Adult questionnaire. The conditional response rate was 80.1%, and the final response rate was 65.4%. The health information for adults in this report was obtained from one randomly selected adult per family. In very rare instances where the sample adult was not able to respond for himself or herself, a proxy was used. HIGHLIGHTS: In 2009, 61% of adults aged 18 years and over reported excellent or very good health. Fifty-five percent of adults had never participated in any type of vigorous leisure-time physical activity, and 17% of adults did not have a usual place of health care. Twelve percent of adults had been told by a doctor or health professional that they had heart disease, and 24% had been told on two or more visits that they had hypertension. Twenty-one percent of all adults were current smokers, and 21% were former smokers. Based on estimates of body mass index, 35% of adults were overweight, and 27% were obese.

Hearing Difficulty, Vision Trouble, and Balance Problems Among Male Veterans and Nonveterans.

Objective-This report describes hearing difficulty, vision trouble, dual sensory impairment (hearing and vision loss), and balance problems among male veterans and nonveterans. Methods-Sample adult data from the 2016 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) were used to assess degree of hearing difficulty, vision trouble, and dual sensory impairment in men aged 18 and over by veteran status. Data from the 2016 NHIS Sample Adult Balance Supplement were also used to create estimates of balance or dizziness problems for men by veteran status. Results-Male veterans were significantly less likely to have excellent or good hearing than nonveterans (72.9% compared with 84.1%), and significantly more likely to have a little or moderate trouble hearing (23.2% compared with 13.6%), as well as more likely to have a lot of hearing difficulty or to be deaf (3.9% compared with 2.4%). Male veterans were also more likely to have dual sensory impairment and balance problems than nonveterans (5.0% compared with 2.5% and 24.3% compared with 18.7%, respectively). When data were stratified by age, male veterans aged 18-44 were over three times more likely to have a little or moderate trouble hearing compared with nonveteran men in the same age group (18.0% compared with 5.3%). Male veterans in age groups 45-64 and 65-74 were also more likely to have a little or moderate trouble hearing compared with nonveteran men in the same age groups. When the data were stratified by age, male veterans and nonveterans had similar percentages of dual sensory impairment. Lastly, male veterans in age groups 45-64 and 65-74 were more likely to have balance problems than nonveteran men in the same age groups.

Chronic Pain and High-impact Chronic Pain Among U.S. Adults, 2019.

Chronic pain (1) and chronic pain that frequently limits life or work activities, referred to in this report as high-impact chronic pain (2), are among the most common reasons adults seek medical care (3) and are associated with decreased quality of life, opioid dependence, and poor mental health (1,4,5). This report examines chronic pain and high-impact chronic pain in the past 3 months among U.S. adults aged 18 and over by selected demographic characteristics and urbanization level.

Summary health statistics for U.S. adults: National Health Interview Survey, 2007.

OBJECTIVES: This report presents health statistics from the 2007 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) for the civilian noninstitutionalized adult population, classified by sex, age, race and ethnicity, education, family income, poverty status, health insurance coverage, marital status, and place and region of residence. Estimates are presented for selected chronic conditions and mental health characteristics, functional limitations, health status, health behaviors, health care access and utilization, and human immunodeficiency virus testing. Percentages and percent distributions are presented in both age adjusted and unadjusted versions. SOURCE OF DATA: NHIS is a household, multistage probability sample survey conducted annually by interviewers of the U.S. Census Bureau for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. In 2007, data were collected on 23,393 adults in the Sample Adult questionnaire. The conditional response rate was 78.3%, and the final response rate was 67.8%. The health information for adults in this report was obtained from one randomly selected adult per family. In very rare instances where the sample adult was not able to respond for him- or herself, a proxy was used. HIGHLIGHTS: In 2007, 61% of adults 18 years of age or over reported excellent or very good health. Sixty-one percent of adults never participated in any type of vigorous leisure-time physical activity, and 15% of adults did not have a usual place of health care. Eleven percent of adults had been told by a doctor or health professional that they had heart disease, and 23% had been told on two or more visits that they had hypertension. Twenty percent of all adults were current smokers and 21% were former smokers. Based on estimates of body mass index, 35% of adults were overweight and 26% were obese.

Summary health statistics for U.S. adults: National Health Interview Survey, 2008.

OBJECTIVES: This report presents health statistics from the 2008 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) for the civilian noninstitutionalized adult population, classified by sex, age, race and ethnicity, education, family income, poverty status, health insurance coverage, marital status, and place and region of residence. Estimates are presented for selected chronic conditions and mental health characteristics, functional limitations, health status, health behaviors, health care access and utilization, and human immunodeficiency virus testing. Percentages and percent distributions are presented in both age-adjusted and unadjusted versions. SOURCE OF DATA: NHIS is a household, multistage probability sample survey conducted annually by interviewers of the U.S. Census Bureau for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. In 2008, data were collected on 21,781 adults in the Sample Adult questionnaire. The conditional response rate was 74.2%, and the final response rate was 62.6%. The health information for adults in this report was obtained from one randomly selected adult per family. In very rare instances where the sample adult was not able to respond for himself or herself, a proxy was used. HIGHLIGHTS: In 2008, 61% of adults 18 years of age or over reported excellent or very good health. Fifty-nine percent of adults had never participated in any type of vigorous leisure-time physical activity, and 16% of adults did not have a usual place of health care. Twelve percent of adults had been told by a doctor or health professional that they had heart disease, and 24% had been told on two or more visits that they had hypertension. Twenty-one percent of all adults were current smokers, and 21% were former smokers. Based on estimates of body mass index, 35% of adults were overweight and 27% were obese.

Examining the high rate of cigarette smoking among adults with a GED.

OBJECTIVES: We seek to identify characteristics of GED holders that explain their very high smoking rates compared with high school (HS) graduates. METHODS: We pooled data from the 2006-2014 National Health Interview Surveys (NHIS) for adults aged 25 and older (n=235,031) to describe cigarette smoking behaviors and smoking history for adults in six education categories, with a focus on comparing GED holders to HS graduates. Logistic regression was used to predict the odds of current cigarette smoking and successful quitting, accounting for demographic, employment, family/sociocultural, mental health, and other potential confounders. RESULTS: The smoking rate among adults with a GED (44.1%) was more than five times the rate for those with a college degree (8.3%) and almost twice the rate of adults whose highest level of education was a high school diploma (23.6%). GED holders were also more likely to have started smoking before the age of 15 (32.2%) compared with HS graduates (12.2%) (p<0.001). Even after controlling for 23 socio-demographic and health characteristics, GED holders retained significantly higher odds of current smoking compared to HS graduates (OR=1.73; 95% CI: 1.56, 1.93) and significantly lower odds of successful quitting (OR=0.83, 95% CI: 0.73, 0.94). CONCLUSIONS: GED holders had greater odds of being a current cigarette smoker, regardless of other characteristics that usually explain smoking. Earlier smoking initiation among GED holders, in combination with lower odds of quitting, contributed to their higher current smoking rate.

Health of Hispanic Adults: United States, 2010-2014.

KEY FINDINGS: Data from the National Health Interview Survey, 2010-2014 •Overall, Puerto Rican adults consistently reported poorer health status than non-Hispanic adults. •Puerto Rican (19.2%) and Mexican (17.4%) adults were more likely than Central or South American (12.3%) and Cuban (14.7%) adults to be in fair or poor health. •Puerto Rican adults (27.3%) were more likely than Central or South American adults (16.6%) to have had multiple chronic conditions. •Puerto Rican adults (6.2%) were nearly twice as likely to report serious psychological distress in the past 30 days compared with Central or South American adults (3.3%). •Puerto Rican adults (11.4%) were more likely than Central or South American (2.9%), Cuban (3.9%), and Mexican (4.8%) adults to be unable to work due to health problems.

Health status of non-Hispanic U.S.-born and foreign-born black and white persons: United States, 1992-95.

OBJECTIVE: This report describes differences in selected sociodemographic and health characteristics of the non-Hispanic U.S. population by race (black and white) and nativity (U.S-born and foreign-born), using data from the 1992-95 National Health Interview Surveys (NHIS). METHODS: Data were collected for a household, multistage probability sample representative of the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population. A total of 456,729 persons were included in these analyses for the 4 data years combined. Statistics were age adjusted to the 2000 U.S. standard population, and unadjusted estimates are also presented for comparison. RESULTS: Over 87 percent of the foreign-born black population assessed their health as being excellent or very good, significantly higher than U.S.-born black persons (52 percent), and similar to U.S.- and foreign-born white persons (69 percent for each group). Eleven percent of foreign-born black persons were limited in performing some type of activity, compared with 20 percent of their U.S.-born counterparts. Among white persons, 14 percent of foreign-born and 16 percent of U.S.-born individuals were limited in activity. The foreign-born black population, especially women, had the lowest current smoking prevalence of all of the study groups. CONCLUSIONS: The data show significant differences in health characteristics between groups classified by race and nativity. Information about the nativity status of black and white populations may be useful in public health efforts to eliminate health disparities.

Self-reported Hearing Trouble in Adults Aged 18 and Over: United States, 2014.

Age is typically the most significant determinant of hearing loss (5,6). Among U.S. adults in 2014, self-reported hearing loss was most prevalent among adults aged 70 and over (43.2%), compared with adults aged 40-69 (19.0%) and aged 18-39 (5.5%). Age-related hearing loss is often overlooked due to its deceptively slow progression, lack of attention from providers, and public acceptance as a condition that is perceived to be a "normal" consequence of aging (7). Among U.S. adults aged 70 and over who had any trouble hearing, 56.8% had seen a doctor or other health care professional about their hearing or ear problems in the past 5 years, but only 42.0% had ever used a hearing aid. Younger adults (aged 18-39) who had any trouble hearing were even less likely to have seen a doctor or used a hearing aid, but they were more likely to have used other assistive technology because of their hearing compared with adults aged 40-69 or 70 and over. Among U.S. adults who had any trouble hearing without a hearing aid, 1.7% were deaf, but the majority (62.6%) had mild hearing loss (defined as "a little trouble hearing"). Men were more likely than women to have self-reported trouble hearing, a sex disparity that has been documented globally among all age groups (8). Men were also more likely than women to state they had moderate trouble hearing.

Summary health statistics for U.S. adults: National Health Interview Survey, 2001.

OBJECTIVES: This report presents health statistics from the 2001 National Health Interview Survey for the civilian noninstitutionalized adult population classified by sex, age, race and Hispanic origin, poverty status, and region of residence for chronic condition prevalence, health status and functional limitations, health care access and utilization, health behaviors, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing. Also, health statistics by education, income, health insurance coverage, marital status, and place of residence are presented for health status and limitations in activity, health care access and utilization, health behaviors, and knowledge and attitudes toward HIV. SOURCE OF DATA: The National Health Interview Survey is a multistage probability sample survey conducted annually by interviewers of the U.S. Census Bureau for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics and is representative of the civilian noninstitutionalized U.S. population. Sociodemographic data are collected for everyone in the family during face-to-face interviews with adults present at the time of the interview. The health information for adults in this report was obtained from one randomly selected adult per family. HIGHLIGHTS: In 2001, 64% of adults 18 years of age and over reported excellent or very good health. Fifty-eight percent of adults never participated in any type of vigorous leisure-time physical activity, and 13% of adults did not have a usual place of health care. Twelve percent of adults had been told by a doctor or health professional that they had heart disease, and 21% had been told on two or more visits that they had hypertension. Nearly a quarter of all adults were current smokers, and 22% were former smokers. Based on estimates of body mass index, 36% of adults were overweight and 23% were obese.

Health status, health insurance, and health care utilization patterns of immigrant Black men.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to describe the health status, health insurance, and health care utilization patterns of the growing population of immigrant Black men. METHODS: We used data from the 1997-2000 National Health Interview Survey to examine and then compare health variables of foreign-born Black men with those of US-born Black and White men. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine health outcomes. RESULTS: Foreign-born Black men were in better overall health than their US-born Black counterparts and were much less likely than either US-born Black or White men to report adverse health behaviors. Despite these health advantages, foreign-born Black men were more likely than either US-born Black or White men to be uninsured. CONCLUSIONS: In the long term, immigrant Black men who are in poor health may be adversely affected by lack of health care coverage.

Racial and ethnic differences in the seroprevalence of 6 infectious diseases in the United States: data from NHANES III, 1988-1994.

OBJECTIVES: We examined racial/ethnic differences in the seroprevalence of selected infectious agents in analyses stratified according to risk categories to identify patterns and to determine whether demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral characteristics explain these differences. METHODS: We analyzed data from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, comparing differences among groups in regard to the prevalence of infection with hepatitis A, B, and C viruses, Toxoplasma gondii, Helicobacter pylori, and herpes simplex virus type 2. RESULTS: Racial/ethnic differences were greater among those in the low-risk category. In the case of most infectious agents, odds associated with race/ethnicity were almost 2 times greater in that category than in the high-risk category. CONCLUSIONS: Stratification and adjustment for socioeconomic factors reduced or eliminated racial/ethnic differences in the prevalence of infection in the high-risk but not the low-risk group, wherein race/ethnicity remained significant and might have been a surrogate for unmeasured risk factors.