Summary health statistics for the U.S. population: National Health Interview Survey, 1997

This report presents health statistics from the 1997 National Health Interview Survey for the civilian noninstitutionalized population of the United States, classified by age, gender, race and Hispanic origin, poverty status, income, education, place of residence, region of residence, and, where appropriate, health insurance coverage. The topics covered are health status and limitations of activity, injuries and poisonings, health care access and utilization, and health insurance coverage.

The NHIS is a multistage probability sample survey conducted annually by interviewers of the U.S. Census Bureau for the National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and is representative of the civilian noninstitutionalized U.S. population. Data are collected during face-to-face interviews with adults present at the time of interview. Information about children and absent adults is obtained from an adult proxy respondent.

Nearly 40% of Americans reported having excellent health in 1997, while almost 10% reported having either fair or poor health. Regarding health insurance coverage, 16% of the U.S. population did not have any health insurance coverage in 1997. Nineteen percent of non-Hispanic black persons and 33% of Hispanics were uninsured in 1997 as opposed to 12% of non-Hispanic white persons. Further, 45% of poor Hispanics and 43% of near poor Hispanics under age 65 years were uninsured, while among persons ages 65 years and over, 7% of poor Hispanics were uninsured. Lastly, 78% of non-Hispanic white persons under age 65 years had private health insurance coverage as opposed to 55% non-Hispanic black persons and 46% of Hispanics in this same age category.