New Estimates for 15 selected health measures based on data from the January–March 2015 National Health Interview Survey

A new report from NCHS updates estimates for 15 selected health measures based on data from the January–March 2015 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and presents estimates from 1997 through 2014 for comparison. The 15 Early Release measures are being published prior to final data editing and final weighting to provide access to the most recent information from NHIS. The estimates will be updated as each new quarter of NHIS data becomes available.

Key Findings from the Report:

• The prevalence of obesity among U.S. adults aged 20 and over increased from 19.4% in 1997 to 30.2% in January–March 2015.
• The prevalence of current cigarette smoking among U.S. adults declined from 24.7% in 1997 to 15.2% in January–March 2015.
• In the first quarter of 2015, the percentages of adults who had received an influenza vaccination during the past 12 months were 71.9% for adults aged 65 and over, 50.7% for those aged 50–64, and 32.5% for those aged 18–49.