NCHS: A Blog of the National Center for Health Statistics
Report examines racial differences in nursing homes
In 2004, 11% of the 1.3 million nursing home residents aged 65 and over in the United States were black. Recent research suggests that black nursing home residents may be more likely than residents of other races to reside in facilities that have serious deficiencies, such as low staffing ratios and greater financial vulnerability. The Read More >
Posted on byMost dangerous states to be riding in a car this holiday weekend
Are you driving to your Thanksgiving dinner this weekend? Beware that your risk while rolling down the highway may be higher or lower depending on the state in which you are traveling. When it comes to dying in a car accident, some states are more deadly than others, and the ones at the top may surprise you. See the Read More >
Posted on byHave late preterm births increased among mothers of all ages?
Late preterm birth rates have risen among mothers of all ages from 1990 to 2006, including teenage mothers (up 5 percent). Among mothers age 25 years and over, late preterm birth rates increased by more than 20 percent from 1990 to 2006. Younger (under age 20 years) and older (40 years and over) mothers are Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentNearly 1 in 5 School-Aged Children Have Some Kind of Basic Functioning Difficulty
A new report from the National Center for Health Statistics shows that children with and without functioning difficulty differ greatly in their use of educational and health care services. This report presents estimates of basic actions difficulty, which includes difficulties related to sensory, motor, cognitive, and emotional or behavioral functioning, in U.S. children aged 5–17 Read More >
Posted on byInfant mortality – Where does the U.S. stand?
In 2005, the latest year that the international ranking is available for, the United States ranked 30th in the world in infant mortality, behind most European countries, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, and Israel. The United States international ranking in infant mortality fell from 12th in the world in 1960, to 23rd Read More >
Posted on byBreast cancer deaths – A state-by-state basis
Except for skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women. Breast cancer is the number one cause of cancer death in Hispanic women. It is the second most common cause of cancer death in white, black, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native women. However, in the United States, incidence of breast Read More >
Posted on by10 Leading Causes of Violence-Related Injury Deaths – Suicide Is Leading Killer
10 Leading Causes of Violence-Related Injury Deaths in the United States in 2006, for all races, both sexes, and all ages. Produced By: Office of Statistics and Programming, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Data Source: National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), National Vital Statistics System. Read More >
Posted on byPregnancy rates decrease in United States
In 2005, an estimated 6,408,000 pregnancies resulted in 4.14 million live births, 1.21 million induced abortions, and 1.06 million fetal losses. The 2005 pregnancy rate of 103.2 pregnancies per 1,000 women aged 15–44 years is 11 percent below the 1990 peak of 115.8. The teenage pregnancy rate dropped 40 percent from 1990 to 2005, reaching Read More >
Posted on byHealth insurance stats – down to basics…
In 2008, 43.8 million people of all ages(14.7%) were uninsured at the time of interview. After adjusting for age and sex, the percentage uninsured at the time of interview was 30.7% for Hispanics, 10.4% for the non-Hispanic white population, and 16.0% for the non-Hispanic black population. The percentage of people under age 65 with no Read More >
Posted on byIncrease in poisonings from opioid painkillers
NCHS recently released the report titled “Increase in Fatal Poisonings Involving Opioid Analgesics in the United States, 1999-2006.” This report shows the explosion of fatal poisonings from opioid painkillers over the past 7 years. For example, from 1999 through 2006, the number of fatal poisonings involving opioid analgesics more than tripled from 4,000 to 13,800 Read More >
Posted on byNew health insurance coverage numbers/percentages released for first quarter 2009
Today the National Center for Health Statistics released the first numbers for health insurance coverage and non-coverage for 2009 (first quarter, January through March). Below shows the percentage of the population that was uninsured last year, as well as the percentage of the population covered by a public or private plan. For more information from Read More >
Posted on byHow does your state fare when it comes to death rates from flu and pneumonia?
Age-adjusted death rates shown here are deaths per 100,000 population. To learn more, visit www.cdc.gov/nchs/deaths.htm. Read More >
Posted on byExercise not a priority for the majority of Americans
How many Americans are exercising? The answer might surprise you (or it might not). Here’s a look at the numbers. In 2008, 31.9% of U.S. adults aged 18 years and over engaged in regular leisure-time physical activity, which was higher than, but not significantly different from, the 2007 estimate of 30.8%. The annual percentages of Read More >
Posted on byMore injuries cccur at home than elsewhere
More injuries occur at a person’s house than anywhere else, a new report from NCHS shows. Also, falls are still the leading cause of injury. Other information in the report includes the following: In 2007, there were an estimated 34.3 million injury episodes. In every year during 1997–2007, the age-adjusted rate of injury episodes among Read More >
Posted on byReport on Hurricane Katrina’s effect on the number of births in the Gulf Region released
On Friday, August 28, 2009, CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics released “The Effect of Hurricane Katrina: Births in the U.S. Gulf Coast Region, Before and After the Storm.” The report documents how births were impacted in 91 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) designated counties and parishes of Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi for a 12-month Read More >
Posted on byLouisiana tops homicide, injury by firearms list
In 2006, Louisiana had the highest age-adjusted rate of homicides and injuries by firearms out of all 50 states: Death rate from homicides: 12.8 deaths per 100,000 population Rate of injury by firearms: 19.3 out of 100,000 populuation For the complete listing of states, visit the report. In 2005, Louisiana also topped all 50 states Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentWomen starting their families later in life
Did you know that in the United States, the average age of a mother at first birth has increased 3.6 years since 1970? Not only are U.S. women starting their families later in life, but the trend depends a great deal on a person’s race/ethnicity and where she lives. Also, the U.S. has a much Read More >
Posted on byObesity information-it starts with the letters NHANES
Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released information concerning the prevalence and costs of the growing epidemic of obesity in the United States. Some of the most critical information concerning the weight of the nation is collected in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which takes actual measurements of a Read More >
Posted on byThe cost of complementary and alternative medicine
A new report examining the costs of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and visits to CAM practitioners was released by NCHS today, in conjunction with the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, part of the National Institutes of Health. The report estimates that– Adults in the U.S. spent $33.9 billion out of pocket on Read More >
Posted on byVaccination coverage does not reach national objectives
Vaccinations are responsible for reducing disease and death; however, vaccinations among certain population subgroups remain low, and national health objectives have not been met. Despite 2010 influenza and pneumococcal vaccination objectives of 90% for adults 65 and over and 60% for younger, high-risk adults, only 66% of the former and 35% of the latter received Read More >
Posted on byUnderweight older adults, children decrease in U.S.
Poor nutrition or underlying health conditions can sometimes cause a person to be underweight. Data from the 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) showed that an estimated 1.8% of U.S. adults are underweight. Between 1988-1994 and 2003-2006, a statistically significant decrease in the percentage of those underweight was found only among those aged Read More >
Posted on byFederal report on America’s children released
Federal interagency report shows declines in preterm birth and low birthweight. Children more likely to live in poverty, less likely to have parent employed full time. These and other statistics have been compiled in America’s Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2009. It is compiled by a number of federal agencies and provides a comprehensive Read More >
Posted on byWho marries when?
Did you know– More woman than men get married before age 40 (86% compared with 81%). Non-Hispanic black men and women aged 25–44 have lower percentages who have ever been married than non-Hispanic white and Hispanic persons of the same age. The probability of first marriage by age 18 is low for both men and Read More >
Posted on byLooking for searchable data on children’s health – check out the NSCH
Are you looking for statistics on the health of U.S. children? You may want to check out the site for the National Survey of Children’s Health, a project of the Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative. You can search the 2007 data set by clicking here. Or, you can find out more about the the Read More >
Posted on byYour first-line resource – order or download a copy today.
This past February, NCHS released its annual report on the nation’s health, Health, United States, 2008. This report contained a wealth of information on a wide variety of health topics, as well as a special feature on the health of young adults aged 18-29. This report can serve as a unique resource for reporters, pointing Read More >
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