November 2006
What percentage of U.S. children recently visited an eye care professional?
According to a September survey, 35 percent of parents who responded said their child had not had a vision exam from an eye care professional, and one-fourth said they had not had an eye exam themselves in at least two years.
The survey also found that of the more than 3,700 adults surveyed, 94 percent agreed that maintaining proper vision is an important priority to them. The survey was conducted on behalf of the Vision Care Institute, an arm of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Inc.
October 2006
What percentage of public health workers get their annual flu vaccinations?
Flu vaccination rates among U.S. health workers are woefully inadequate, according to a study in the February issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine, which found only 38 percent of such workers received a flu shot in 2000.
Researchers from the University of California Los Angeles and Harvard University analyzed data from the 2000 National Health Interview Survey to measure flu vaccination rates among a sample of 1,651 health care workers. While the overall rate of those surveyed was 38 percent, workers who were younger than 50, black or worked as health aides had the lowest vaccination rates.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends health workers get a yearly flu shot to help stem the spread of the disease, which is the nation’s sixth leading cause of death.
For more information on the flu, visit www.cdc.gov/flu
September 2006
What percentage of U.S. physicians use electronic medical records?
About one in four physicians reported using full or partial electronic medical records in their practices in 2005, according to the National Center for Health Statistics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The figure is a 31 percent increase from 2001.
According to the July findings, physicians practicing in metropolitan areas were more likely to use electronic medical records than physicians in non-metropolitan areas. Also, U.S. physicians in the Midwest and West were more likely to use electronic medical records than those based in the Northeast.
However, only about 9 percent of physicians used the record-keeping technique with all four of the basic functions considered necessary to complete the system. The functions are computerized orders for prescriptions, computerized orders for medical tests, reporting of testing results and physician notes.
To read “Electronic Medical Record Use by Office-based Physicians: United States, 2005,” visit www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/hestats/electronic/electronic.htm.
August 2006
Where do most falls among middle-aged and older adults occur?
Most falls among middle-aged and older adults occur outside, according to a study published in the July 2006 issue of APHA's American Journal of Public Health.
The study, which examined falls among about 2,200 adults ages 45 and older, found that most outdoor falls occurred on sidewalks, curbs and streets and were related to environmental factors such as uneven or wet surfaces and objects. About 47 percent of people were walking at the time of their fall.
Because the majority of falls were associated with modifiable environmental factors, the study authors called for improvements in the outdoor environment, especially where people walk.
"Outdoor falls are an important but neglected public health problem," the study authors wrote. In this decade of worldwide promotion of active living and active aging, efforts have begun at the national, state, municipal and community levels to improve the built environment, including making neighborhoods more walkable. Preventing falls among older persons should be included in these efforts."
For more on the study, conducted at five Kaiser Permanente medical centers between 1996 and 2001, visit www.ajph.org.
June/July 2006
What percentage of U.S. residents wear their seat belts?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2004 the number of people using seat belts went up by 1 percent to a new total of 80 percent -- the nation's highest level ever. The agency predicts that an 80 percent daytime seat belt use rate will save more than 15,000 lives and $50 billion in economic costs associated with traffic-related injuries and deaths each year.
Women continue to use safety belts more than men. In 2004, 83 percent of female motorists were using safety belts, compared to 77 percent of males.
Seat belts have been proven to be about 50 percent effective in preventing deaths during auto crashes in which a driver would otherwise die, NHTSA reported. For each additional percentage point increase in seat belt use, about 270 lives can be saved.
For more information, visit www.nhtsa.dot.gov.
May 2006
How many employees decline an employer's offer of health insurance?
Twenty-five states experienced a substantial decrease in the number of private-sector employees accepting an employer's offer of health coverage, with major declines in New Jersey, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Colorado and Iowa, the report found.
For more information or a copy of the report, which was released during Cover the Uninsured Week in May, visit http://covertheuninsured.org.
April 2006
What is the most common reason American children require hospital care?
Respiratory disorders are the most common reason American children seek hospital care, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Such disorders, mostly asthma, pneumonia and acute bronchitis and bronchiolitis, make up about 23 percent of hospital stays for all children ages 17 and younger. Such visits range from 154,000 to 166,000 annually. In descending order after respiratory problems, children visit the hospital most often for digestive disorders, nervous system conditions, endocrine or metabolic disorders, teenage pregnancy and mental disorders or substance abuse.
The statistics, which come from AHRQ?s Kids? Inpatient Database, are available online at http://hcup.ahrq.gov/hcupnet.asp.
March 2006
How many U.S. adults have symptoms of a mental disorder?
During the course of the previous 12 months, more than one-fourth of adults reported having symptoms that would qualify them for a diagnosis of a mental disorder, according to a June 2005 study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry. Most of those disorders, the authors wrote, can be classified as serious or moderate.
According to the study, the 12-month prevalence for anxiety disorders was 18.1 percent, mood disorders were at 9.5 percent, impulse control disorders were at 8.9 percent and substance abuse disorders were at 3.8 percent.
For more information or a copy of the study, visit www.archgenpsychiatry.com.
January/February 2006
What is the most commonly abused substance in the United States?
According to the annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which was released last September, alcohol remains the nation's most commonly abused substance. More than 22 percent of the U.S. population, or 55 million people, ages 12 and older were binge drinkers in the past month, reported the survey, which was conducted by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
The survey also showed that the age range that participated in the most illicit drug use, those ages 18 to 25, also had the highest rates of alcohol abuse. Due to the survey results, the National Institute of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse created a new Web site about college binge drinking.
For more information, visit www.samhsa.gov .