NCHS: A Blog of the National Center for Health Statistics
Physician Office Visits by Children for Well and Problem-focused Care: United States, 2012
Office visits by children can be for well or problem-focused care. Well-care visits for children routinely include assessment of emotional and social development, in addition to physical health and development. Problem-focused visits do not routinely include these comprehensive assessments. Receipt of well care is tracked nationally as a measure of health care quality. An Read More >
Posted on byHealth of Asian Adults: United States, 2010–2014
About 5% of the U.S. population, or 15 million persons, are Asian. The Asian population is heterogeneous, characterized by a variety of languages, cultures, socioeconomic statuses, and health issues. A new NCHS report looks at the health status, multiple chronic conditions, serious psychological distress, and limitations on work or social participation for all non-Hispanic Asian adults Read More >
Posted on byWireless Substitution: Early Release of Estimates From the National Health Interview Survey, July–December 2015
Preliminary results from the July– December 2015 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) indicate that the number of American homes with only wireless telephones continues to grow. Nearly one-half of American homes (48.3%) had only wireless telephones (also known as cellular telephones, cell phones, or mobile phones) during the second half of 2015—an increase of 2.9 Read More >
Posted on byAccess and Utilization of Selected Preventive Health Services Among Adolescents Aged 10–17
Adolescence is a critical period for health promotion, disease prevention, and the development of healthy habits. Regular preventive health care visits during this period are recommended to promote health and quality of life. An NCHS report examines recent trends and demographic differences in the percentages of adolescents with a usual place for preventive care; those Read More >
Posted on byState Variation in Health Care Service Utilization: United States, 2014
State-level differences in the percentage of uninsured Americans, along with other factors, may affect health care access and utilization. An NCHS report examines the prevalence of two health care utilization measures among adults aged 18–64 by state. Additionally, differences by Medicaid expansion status and state Health Insurance Marketplace type are examined. Findings: The percentage of adults Read More >
Posted on byAccess to Care Among Adults Aged 18–64 With Serious Psychological Distress
Between 2013 and the first 9 months of 2015 almost 15 million adults aged 18–64 gained health insurance coverage in the United States. In monitoring the effects of this shift in coverage, one population of special interest is those with mental health conditions. Previous studies have shown adults with mental health conditions have greater health Read More >
Posted on byDeclines in Triplet and Higher-order Multiple Births in the United States, 1998–2014
The incidence of triplet and higher-order multiple births rose fourfold during the 1980s and 1990s. This rise was associated with older maternal age and the increased use of fertility-enhancing therapies and was of concern because of the greater risk of adverse outcome of triplet and higher-order births compared with singletons and the added toll of Read More >
Posted on byANNUAL REPORT CARD ON THE NATION’S HEALTH SHOWS RACIAL AND ETHNIC HEALTH DISPARITIES PERSIST
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has released “Health, United States, 2015”. This is the 39th annual report card on the nation’s health, along with a special feature on racial and ethnic health disparities. The special feature was inspired by the landmark 1985 Report of the Secretary’s Task Force on Black and Minority Read More >
Posted on byDaily Water Intake Among U.S. Men and Women, 2009–2012
Water is an essential nutrient for life. Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommendations from 2004 set adequate levels for total water intake from all foods and liquids at 3.7 liters (125 ounces) for men and 2.7 liters (91 ounces) for women. Consuming inadequate amounts of water increases the risk of dehydration, kidney stones, and poorer cognitive Read More >
Posted on byIncrease in Suicide in the United States, 1999–2014
Suicide is an important public health issue involving psychological, biological, and societal factors. After a period of nearly consistent decline in suicide rates in the United States from 1986 through 1999, suicide rates have increased almost steadily from 1999 through 2014. While suicide among adolescents and young adults is increasing and among the leading causes Read More >
Posted on byChanges in Life Expectancy by Race and Hispanic Origin in the United States, 2013–2014
A new NCHS report presents changes in life expectancy by race, Hispanic origin, and sex in the United States between 2013 and 2014. Life expectancy was estimated using complete period life tables that are based on death rates adjusted for race and Hispanic origin misclassification on death certificates. Life expectancy represents the average number of years Read More >
Posted on byWorld Tuberculosis Day
In 1914, there were 86,359 deaths from tuberculosis in the U.S.; in 2014, there were 493 deaths attributed to the disease. Source: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/dvs/lead1900_98.pdf Read More >
Posted on byTrends in Attitudes About Marriage, Childbearing, and Sexual Behavior: United States
An NCHS report describes attitudes about marriage, childbearing, and sexual behavior among men and women aged 15–44 in the United States based on the 2002, 2006–2010, and 2011–2013 National Survey of Family Growth. Findings: An increase in the percentage of men and women who agreed with premarital cohabitation. An increase in the percentage of men Read More >
Posted on byCurrent Asthma Prevalence by Weight Status Among Adults: United States, 2001–2014
Asthma is a common chronic airway disorder characterized by periods of airflow obstruction known as asthma attacks. Symptom frequency can range from intermittent to constant, and attack severity can vary from mild to life threatening. Several studies have shown that among adults, obesity is associated with an increased risk of asthma diagnosis, more frequent asthma-related Read More >
Posted on byNut Consumption Among U.S. Youth, 2009–2012
Nut consumption has been associated with improved weight status, nutrient intake, and diet quality among youth. However, allergies to nuts among children may be increasing, which may lead to higher vigilance over nut exposure in schools and other public settings. An NCHS report examines the percentage of youth consuming nuts, including seeds and nut butters, on Read More >
Posted on byCharacteristics of Physician Office Visits for Obesity by Adults Aged 20 and Over: United States, 2012
Obesity, a complex and costly condition, affects more than one-third of adults in the United States. It raises the risk of morbidity from chronic diseases and is a major cause of preventable death. A new NCHS report examines health care visits for obesity by adults aged 20 and over in 2012. A visit for obesity is Read More >
Posted on byU.S. Death Rates Higher, According to Early Preliminary Data
An early analysis of death records from October 2014 thru September 2015 suggests that death rates in the U.S. are higher than they were at the same point in 2014. NCHS found that the age-adjusted death rate in the U.S. for the 12 month period ending with the third quarter of 2015 was 731.4 deaths per Read More >
Posted on byReasons for Emergency Room Use Among U.S. Adults Aged 18–64: National Health Interview Survey, 2013 and 2014
A new NCHS report examines the percentage of adults aged 18–64 who had an emergency room (ER) visit and their reasons for the most recent visit. Findings: In 2014, 18% of adults visited the ER one or more times. Seriousness of the medical problem was the reason for the most recent ER visit for 77% Read More >
Posted on byNew Health, United States Spotlight Infographics
Health, United States Spotlights are infographics of selected health data available in Health, United States, the annual report on the health of the nation submitted by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to the President and Congress. Each Spotlight displays approximately four health indicators allowing users to visualize and interpret complex Read More >
Posted on bySmoking Prevalence and Cessation Before and During Pregnancy
A new NCHS report presents findings on maternal smoking prevalence and cessation before and during pregnancy as collected on the 2003 U.S. Standard Certificate of Live Birth, for a 46-state and District of Columbia reporting area, representing 95% of all births in the United States. Findings: About 1 in 10 women who gave birth in Read More >
Posted on byThree Largest Causes of Injury Death and Life Expectancy Between the United States and 12 Countries
Yesterday the Journal of the American Medical Association published a research letter entitled Major Causes of Injury Death and the Life Expectancy Gap Between the United States and Other High-Income Countries. From the JAMA: The United States experiences lower life expectancy at birth than many other high-income countries. Although research has focused on mortality of the Read More >
Posted on byHealth Insurance Coverage: Early Release of Estimates From the National Health Interview Survey, January–September 2015
A new NCHS report presents selected estimates of health insurance coverage for the civilian noninstitutionalized U.S. population based on data from the January–September 2015 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), along with comparable estimates from the 2010–2014 NHIS. Estimates for 2015 are based on data for 79,847 persons. Findings: The number of uninsured persons has declined Read More >
Posted on byCertified EHR Systems in Physician Offices Increase
The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 provides incentive payments to eligible hospitals and providers that demonstrate the meaningful use of a certified electronic health record (EHR) system. In 2010, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology began certifying EHR systems as having the capabilities that could Read More >
Posted on byState Variation in Preventive Care Visits, by Patient Characteristics, 2012
Preventive care visits such as general medical examinations, prenatal visits, and well-baby visits give physicians and other health professionals the opportunity to screen for diseases or conditions, as well as to promote healthy behaviors that may delay or prevent these conditions and reduce subsequent use of emergency or inpatient care. In an NCHS report, the Read More >
Posted on byMortality Among Centenarians in the United States, 2000─2014
The population of the United States is aging. Although centenarians are still uncommon, the numbers of Americans aged 100 and over increased 43.6%, from 50,281 in 2000 to 72,197 in 2014. As the number of centenarians increases, so does the number of deaths in this age group. NCHS has released a report with mortality data Read More >
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