December  2007/January 2008

What percentage of Americans ages 20 and older have never had their cholesterol checked?

Though it is widely known that maintaining healthy cholesterol levels is important for reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke, one in six Americans age 20 and older — nearly 36 million people — have never had their cholesterol levels checked, according to statistics from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

According to the survey, among those who have never had their blood cholesterol levels checked are more than one-third of uninsured people ages 20­–64, 16 percent of people with private health insurance and 22 percent of people who have public insurance.  Additionally, 20 percent of males and 14 percent of females ages 20 and older have never had their cholesterol levels checked. Also, one-fourth of Hispanic adults, 16 percent each of black and Asian adults and 15 percent of white adults have never had their cholesterol levels checked.

The statistics, which come from AHRQ’s News and Numbers, are based on 2005 data from the agency’s Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, which collects information each year from a nationally representative sample of U.S. households about health care use, expenses, access, health status and quality. 

November 2007

What percentage of Americans younger than 21 visit a dentist at least once a year?

Only 45 percent of Americans younger than 21 visit a dentist at least once a year, according to November 2007 statistics from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends at least two checkups a year in most cases.

The data, drawn from a 2004 national survey, show that only a slightly higher percentage of children got annual dental care in 2004 than in 1996, when 42 percent of children got at least one yearly exam.

The survey also revealed that only 31 percent of children from poor families saw a dentist once a year compared with 47 percent of children from middle-income families and 62 percent from high-income families. Additionally, only about 34 percent of black youths and 33 percent of Hispanic youths saw a dentist annually, compared with nearly 53 percent of white youths.

The statistics, which come from AHRQ’s News and Numbers, are based on data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. For more information, see Dental Use, Expenses, Dental Coverage, and Changes, 1996 and 2004, at www.meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/data_files/publications/cb17/cb17.pdf.  

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October 2007

What percentage of U.S. mothers breastfeed exclusively for at least the first six months of the infant's life?

About 11.3 percent of U.S. mothers exclusively breastfed their infant for at least the first six months of life in 2004, according to a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Published in the Aug. 2 issue of CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Report, the study found that 74 percent of women who give birth began breastfeeding, but that the rate dropped drastically as time progressed. By three months of age, only 30.5 percent of babies were exclusively breastfed.

The 2004 rates fall short of national targets. Healthy People 2010, the federally led plan that sets health goals for the nation, calls for at least 25 percent of all U.S. infants be breastfed exclusively at 6 months of age and that at least 60 percent of infants be exclusively breastfed at 3 months of age.

Breastfeeding offers enormous health benefits for babies, including protection against lower respiratory tract and middle ear infections, decreased eczema risk and lower risk for obesity. Mothers who breastfeed are also at lower risk for developing type 2 diabetes and ovarian and breast cancers.

The CDC study can be accessed at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5630a2.htm.

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What percentage of  Americans ages 18 and older are fully satisfied with their health care?

Forty-eight percent of Americans ages 18 and older who had gone to a doctor or medical clinic within a year of being surveyed rated their health care nine or 10 on a scale in which zero was the worst possible care and 10 the best, according to August 2007 statistics from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Patients’ perceptions of quality varied by race, ethnicity and type of insurance. For example, 49 percent of whites and 46 percent of blacks rated their health care nine or 10, while only 31 percent of Asians and 37 percent of American Indians and Alaska Natives reported a similar level of satisfaction. Approximately 43 percent of Hispanics reported that they had received high quality health care. Slightly less than 60 percent of people ages 65 and older who have Medicare — with or without additional private or public health insurance — rated their care the highest, compared with 46 percent of privately insured patients and 39 percent of uninsured Americans.

In terms of gender, perceptions of quality were nearly equal, with 46 percent of men and 49 percent of women rating their health care as excellent.

The statistics, which come from AHRQ’s News and Numbers, are based on data from the 2006 National Healthcare Quality Report, which can be accessed at www.ahrq.gov/qual/nhqr06/nhqr06.htm.

August 2007

What percentage of U.S. youth ages 12 to 17 have experienced at least one major depressive episode in the past year?

Approximately 9 percent of youths ages 12 to 17, and 7.6 percent of adults older than 17, experienced at least one major depressive episode in the past year, according to June 2007 statistics from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Among youth, the prevalence of depressive episodes was among the highest in Idaho and Nevada, where more than 10 percent of youths ages 12 to 17 experienced at least one major depressive episode in the past year. The rates were among the lowest in Louisiana and South Dakota, where slightly more than 7 percent of youths ages 12 to 17 experienced one or more depressive episodes in the past year.

Among adults, the rates of past-year major depressive episodes were among the highest in Utah, at 10.1 percent, and Rhode Island, at 9.9 percent. Rates were among the lowest in Hawaii and New Jersey, where 6.7 percent and 6.8 percent of adults experienced at least one major depressive episode in the past year.

The survey also showed that there were few statistically significant differences across states in the rates of past-year major depressive episodes among youths and adults. The survey did not look at reasons for the interstate variances.

The data, which come from SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use and Health, can be accessed at http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k7/states/depression.cfm.

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June/July 2007

In the April 6, 2007 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, researchers cited 2005 data from the annual Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For 2005, there were 5,702 total work-related deaths and a rate of four deaths per 100,000 workers.The numbers represent an 8 percent drop in deaths from 1992 and a 23 percent drop in the fatality rate.

Males accounted for 93 percent of all work place deaths in 2005 and had a work-related death rate 12 times higher than their female counterparts, at 6.9 per 100,000 compared to 0.6 per 100,000. The highest percentage of fatal work place injuries were attributed to highway incidents, followed by falls, being struck by an object and homicides. Since 1992, the number of deaths linked to highway incidents, falls and being struck by an object has increased, while the number of  homicides has dropped.  

To view the report, visit http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5613a1.htm.

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May 2007

What is a leading cause of death for young babies?

Birth defects are a leading cause of death for young babies.

In the Jan. 19 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, researchers cited 2003 data on 35 birth defects, including chromosomal abnormalities such as Down syndrome, central nervous system conditions such as spina bifida and heart defects. They found that 85 percent of babies born with the congenital malformation known as anencephaly died in the hospital, most within two days of birth.

The most common birth defects were hypospadias and epispadias, both genital malformations, and obstructive genitourinary defects, each found in more than 13,000 newborns.

The most expensive birth defect as far as hospitalization charges was hypoplastic left heart syndrome, in which a baby is born with small or no left chambers of the heart. The average hospital charge for treating the heart defect, according to the study, was about $200,000.

The March of Dimes estimates three to four of every 100 babies is born with a birth defect.

To view the report, visit http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5602a1.htm. 

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April 2007

What group of U.S. children, based on race or ethnicity, has the highest prevalance of asthma?

Puerto Rican children have the highest prevalence of asthma of any racial or ethnic group in the United States, data from the National Health Interview Survey show.

According to a January 2006 Pediatrics study that analyzed the survey data, Puerto Rican children have the highest prevalence of lifetime asthma of all U.S kids, at 26 percent, and recent asthma attacks, at 12 percent.

In comparison, 16 percent of black children had a lifetime asthma prevalence and 7 percent had recent attacks; 13 percent of white children had lifetime asthma prevalence and 6 percent had recent attack; and 10 percent of Mexican-American children had a lifetime asthma prevalence and 4 percent had recent attacks.

The reason for the higher rate among Puerto Rican children is unknown, but was not associated with poverty, the researchers found. Data was not analyzed for other Hispanic sub-groups because of a lack of reliable information.

For more information on asthma, visit http://www.cdc.gov/asthma/.

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March 2007

What percentage of employees working at large companies who are eligible for health benefits actually enrolled in a health plan? 

The percentage of workers employed at large companies who are eligible for health coverage plans and enrolled fell from 87 percent in 1996 to 80 percent in 2004, according to August 2006 statistics from the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

The steepest enrollment declines were among employees at large retail firms, falling from about 82 percent to 69 percent, while enrollment at other types of large, private firms declined more modestly. For example, the percentage of eligible wholesale trade workers who enrolled in health plans decreased from 92 percent to 86 percent, AHRQ reported. But enrollment among eligible construction workers declined from 87 percent to 82 percent.

The statistics, which come from AHRQ’s Establishment Survey of Employer-Based Health Insurance, can be accessed at www.meps.ahrq.gov.

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February 2007

What do a majority of Americans believe is the top health issue facing U.S. children? 

More than a quarter of Americans, or 27 percent, said obesity and overweight are the most important health issues facing U.S. children, according to a public opinion poll released in December by Research!America and the Endocrine Society.

However, Americans are split on whether obesity should be addressed on an individual level or on a societal level, with 52 percent of those polled believing that obesity is a public health issue that society should help address. Following obesity as children's top health threat, those polled said lack of health insurance and unhealthy eating habits followed second and third, respectively.

For a full copy of the poll, visit www.researchamerica.org.