Category: Uncategorized
QuickStats: Percentage of Office-Based Physicians Using an Electronic Health Record System by State
In 2013, the percentage of physicians using an Electronic Health Record system was higher than the national average in seven states (Arizona, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah, and Wisconsin) (range = 87%–94%) and was lower than the national average in New Jersey (66%). Read More >
Posted on byQuickStats: Percentage of Adults Aged 40 Years or Older Who Ever Had a Cardiovascular Event and Are Now Taking Low-Dose Aspirin to Prevent or Control Heart Disease in 2012
In 2012, 69.6% of adults aged 40 years or older who ever had a cardiovascular event (73.2% of men and 65.4% of women) were taking low-dose aspirin to prevent or control heart disease. Non-Hispanic white men (75.9%) were more likely to be taking low-dose aspirin compared with Hispanic (60.7%) and non-Hispanic black men (60.6%). No statistically Read More >
Posted on byLatest Obesity Trends Offer Mixed Picture
Obesity among preschoolers ages 2 to 5 dropped from approximately 14% in 2003-04 to 8.4% in 2011-12, according to new research in the February 26 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association. However, there was no change in obesity prevalence for all children and adolescents between 2 and 19 years of age – Read More >
Posted on byStudy: 3 out of 4 Youth Consume Caffeinated Beverages Each Day – But Tastes Are Shifting
There appears to have been a significant shift over the past decade in what young people are choosing as their “drink of choice” when it comes to caffeinated beverages. While it’s safe to say that soda (or “Pop,” for those of us from the Upper Midwest) won’t become extinct on grocery shelves any time soon, there clearly appears to Read More >
Posted on byNew Analysis on Blood Mercury Levels & Seafood Consumption Does Not Resolve The Debate Over What Level Is Considered A Health Risk
While seafood generally is considered part of a healthy diet, it can also contain methyl mercury—a neurotoxin. However, there is little to no scientific consensus on what level of mercury in the blood is considered a health hazard (ATSDR, EPA). A group of NCHS researchers – Samara Joy Nielsen, Brian K Kit, Yutaka Aoki, and Read More >
Posted on byHeroin-Related Deaths in the U.S.
The death of actor Philip Seymour Hoffman has sparked a great deal of interest in heroin overdose deaths in the U.S. The number of heroin-related deaths are available from the multiple cause of death option on the CDC WONDER database using the T40.1 ICD Code,“Poisoning by and adverse effect of heroin.” However, this may not Read More >
Posted on byFinancial Burden of Medical Care: A Family Perspective
Recently published data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) found that 1 in 5 persons was in a family having problems paying medical bills, and 1 in 10 persons was in a family with medical bills that they were unable to pay at all. NHIS defines “family” as an individual or a group of Read More >
Posted on byUpdates to Stats of the States
NCHS has new updates to Stats of the States that caputures vital statistics for all 50 states. Read More >
Posted on byQUICKSTAT: Average Annual Number of Deaths from Unintentional, Non–Fire-Related Carbon Monoxide Poisoning-US, 1999–2010
During 1999–2010, a total of 5,149 deaths from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning occurred in the United States, an average of 430 deaths per year. The average annual death rate from carbon monoxide poisoning for males was more than three times higher than that for females. The death rates were highest among those 65 or older for males (0.42) Read More >
Posted on byStatcast – October through December 2013
[wpvideo 7VcZE0vQ] Welcome to Statcast. Quarterly highlights from the National Center for Health Statistics This edition covers October through December of 2013 In October, a new release have data showed that nearly 35 percent of American adults were obese in 2012 Up slightly from 30 percent a decade before New data also showed 13 percent Read More >
Posted on byFewer Women Seeking Help for Infertility
A new report from NCHS presents nationally representative estimates and trends for infertility service use among women aged 15–44 and 25–44 in the United States in 1982–2010. While greater detail on types of infertility service is shown for women, basic data on types of infertility service use, as reported by men aged 25–44, are also Read More >
Posted on byElectronic Health Records Among Office-based Physician Practices: United States, 2001–2013
The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 authorized incentive payments to increase physician adoption of electronic health record (EHR) systems. The Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs are staged in three steps, with increasing requirements for participation. To receive an EHR incentive payment, physicians must show that they are “meaningfully Read More >
Posted on byFirst-Ever Data on Asian-Americans Released
The number of Asian persons in the United States grew by more than 40% between 2000 and 2010. Asian persons now make up 4.9% of the population. To address the scarcity of health information based on physical measurements of Asian persons, non-Hispanic Asian persons were oversampled for the first time in the National Health and Read More >
Posted on byQuickStats: Infant Mortality Rates by Race and Hispanic Ethnicity of Mother — United States, 2000, 2005, and 2010
The U.S. infant mortality rate plateaued during 2000–2005, then declined from 6.86 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2005 to 6.14 in 2010. Declines from 2005 to 2010 were largest for non-Hispanic black women (from 13.63 to 11.46), followed by non-Hispanic white (from 5.76 to 5.18) and Hispanic women (from 5.62 to 5.25). In Read More >
Posted on byHypothermia Deaths
With record-breaking cold weather sending single digit temperatures in most of the country, its important to stay warm. Prolonged exposure to the cold will eventually use up your body’s stored energy and can lead to hypothermia. If gone untreated, hypothermia can lead to death. From 1999 to 2011, a total of 16,911 deaths in the United Read More >
Posted on by1 out of 4 Adolescents Engaged in Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity
The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, which have been adopted by the First Lady’s Let’s Move! initiative and the American Academy of Pediatrics, recommend that youth participate in daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity for at least 60 minutes. This report presents the most recent national data from 2012 on self-reported physical activity among youth aged Read More >
Posted on byQuick Stat of the Week: Percentage of Adults with Hypertension Reporting Treatment and Control of Their Condition,by Race/Ethnicity — 2011–2012
During 2011–2012, 75.6% of adults with hypertension were taking medication to lower their blood pressure, and 51.8% had their blood pressure under control. Non-Hispanic Asian adults with hypertension were less likely to be taking medication (65.2%) than were non-Hispanic black (77.4%) and non-Hispanic white (76.7%) adults with hypertension. No difference was observed in controlled hypertension Read More >
Posted on bySTATE VITALS: ALABAMA
Alabama ranks among the top ten states for rates of preterm births, teen births and low birthweight. Alabama also ranks higher than the entire U.S. in mortality for all ten leading causes of death, which include: heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseases, stroke, accidents, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, kidney disease, influenza/pneumonia and suicide. However, since 2005 Read More >
Posted on byA Whole Lot of Coughing Going On
The old euphemism, “It’s not the cough that will carry you off,” mostly rings true, but the cough is still one of the leading reasons to head to a doctor, according to the 2010 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) conducted by NCHS. A cough is also one of the top reasons why people visit Read More >
Posted on bySTATE VITALS: WYOMING
Wyoming ranks 41st in the U.S. in births to unmarried mothers (35.5% of all births) and cesarean delivery rates (27% of all birhts). The state’s marriage rate is also higher than the overall U.S. rate (7.8 marriages per 1,000 population vs. 6.8 per 1,000 nationally). However, among the ten leading causes of death in the U.S., Wyoming mortality Read More >
Posted on bySTATE VITALS: VERMONT
Vermont has the lowest preterm birth rate in the country (8.8% of all births) and a significantly lower rate than the U.S. as a whole (11.7%). The state’s teen birth rate is also lower than the overall U.S. rate (16.8% vs. 31.3%). Vermont has the 10th lowest low birthweight rate in the U.S. However, among the ten Read More >
Posted on byHealth Insurance Coverage and Adverse Experiences With Physician Availability in the US
Rates of private insurance and public coverage have been increasing. As coverage and utilization increase, a growing concern is the availability of health care providers to meet patient needs. Almost 90% of general physicians accept new patients with private insurance, but less than 75% accept new patients with public coverage (e.g., Medicare, Medicaid), and the Read More >
Posted on byNational Study of Long-Term Care Providers Report
NCHS has released the first in a series of NSLTCP reports today. Long-Term Care Services in the United States: 2013 Overview includes general, descriptive information on the supply, organizational characteristics, staffing, and services offered by providers of long-term care services; and the demographic, health, and functional characteristics of users of these services. The report shows Read More >
Posted on byMeasures of Muscular Strength in U.S. Children and Adolescents
In 2008, the federal government released the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, which provide guidance on the types and amounts of physical activities that provide substantial health benefits for Americans of all ages. Regular physical activity reduces the risk of many adverse health outcomes and helps control the percentage of body fat in children and Read More >
Posted on byWinter Injuries
With winter now upon us, several storms have already hit much of the country with dangerous snow and ice. The wintery conditions can result in injuries that often lead to hospitalizations that are sometimes fatal. The impact on society is direct in terms of medical costs and indirect in terms of lost productivity. There is a wealth of NCHS data that Read More >
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