On Tuesday, the CDC issued an early release of selected estimates regarding trends in American health based on data from the 2015 National Health Interview Survey. The NHIS has monitored American health through household interviews since 1957. This early release contains estimates on 15 measures impacting the nation's health prior to final data editing and weighting. The survey compares the 2015 data from these measures to estimates from 1997 to 2014.
Here are key takeaways from the 15 measures of the NHIS
1. Lack of health insurance coverage and type of coverage:
- According to the survey, the percentage of Americans without insurance in 2015 was 9.1 percent, indicating a continued drop in uninsured numbers that started in 2011. In 2010, the percentage of Americans without health insurance was 16 percent.
2. Consistent place to go for medical care:
- People between the ages of 18 and 44 were the least likely to have a usual place to go for medical care. At 95.6 percent, those under 18 were the most likely to have a consistent place to go for care.
3. Failure to obtain necessary care:
- In 2015, the amount of people who did not obtain needed medical care due to concerns about cost decreased to 4.5 percent. In 2014, the estimate was 5.3 percent and in 2009 and 2010 it was 6.9 percent.
4. Influenza vaccination:
- In the fourth quarter of 2015, the percentages of adults who received an influenza vaccination in the last year were 65.8 percent for adults aged 65 and over, 46 percent for ages 50 to 64 and 31.2 percent for those aged 18 to 49.
5. Pneumococcal vaccination:
- The percentage of adults over 65 years old vaccinated for pneumonia increased rapidly from 42.4 percent in 1997 to 53.1 percent in 2000. The rate of increase then began to occur more slowly. In 2015, the percentage rose to 63.5 percent.
6. Obesity:
- The rate of American obesity continued its consistent trend upward in 2015. The percentage of estimated obese Americans over 20 years of age was 30.4 percent — that's more than a 10 percent increase from 1997.
7. Physical activity:
- The percentage of adults over 18 who met the 2008 federal physical activity guidelines for aerobic activity increased from 41.4 percent in 2006 to 49.5 percent in 2012. That rate has remained stable through 2015.
8. Cigarette smoking:
- The percentage of American cigarette smokers estimated by the survey was 15.1 percent for 2015, signifying a continued and significant decline in cigarette smoking among the population. In 1997, the estimated percentage of cigarette smokers was 24.7 percent.
9. Alcohol consumption:
- The percentage of men who had a minimum of one heavy drinking day in the last year decreased from 31.6 percent in 1997 to 27.9 percent in 2006. The rate then increased to 32.4 percent in 2009. From 2009 through 2013, the percentage of men who had at least one heavy drinking day in the past year fluctuated little.
10. Rates of HIV testing:
- In 2015, the number of adults who had ever been tested for HIV rose slightly to 38.6 percent. For 2014, that number was 37.5 percent.
11. General health:
- The percentage of people displaying excellent or very good health diminished from 68.5 percent in 1997 to 65.9 percent in 2006 — the rates of people exhibiting excellent or very good health has remained stable since.
12. Personal care needs:
- In 2015, an estimated 6.9 percent of adults over the age of 65 required assistance with personal care. No clear trend in the percentage of adults over 65 requiring personal care assistance has been exhibited from the data collected since 1997.
13. Psychological distress:
- In 2015, the percentage of those ages 18 and up who experienced serious psychological distress in the past 30 days rose slightly from 3.1 percent in 2014 to 3.6 percent.
14. Diabetes diagnosis:
- The prevalence of diagnosed diabetes among adults has steadily increased since 1997 when the estimated percentage of those diagnosed was 5.1 percent. In 2015, the percentage continued its steady rise, reaching 9.5 percent.
15. Asthma:
- Starting in 1997 through 2015, no clear trend has been established in the percentage of Americans of all ages who had experienced an asthma related incident in the last year.
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