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

Abstract

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.