Summary health statistics for U.S. adults: National Health Interview Survey, 2001

This report presents health statistics from the 2001 National Health Interview Survey for the civilian noninstitutionalized adult population classified by sex, age, race and Hispanic origin, poverty status, and region of residence for chronic condition prevalence, health status and functional limitations, health care access and utilization, health behaviors, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing. Also, health statistics by education, income, health insurance coverage, marital status, and place of residence are presented for health status and limitations in activity, health care access and utilization, health behaviors, and knowledge and attitudes toward HIV.

The National Health Interview Survey is a 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 and is representative of the civilian noninstitutionalized U.S. population. Sociodemographic data are collected for everyone in the family during face-to-face interviews with adults present at the time of the interview. The health information for adults in this report was obtained from one randomly selected adult per family.

In 2001, 64% of adults 18 years of age and over reported excellent or very good health. Fifty-eight percent of adults never participated in any type of vigorous leisure-time physical activity, and 13% of adults did not have a usual place of health care. Twelve percent of adults had been told by a doctor or health professional that they had heart disease, and 21% had been told on two or more visits that they had hypertension. Nearly a quarter of all adults were current smokers, and 22% were former smokers. Based on estimates of body mass index, 36% of adults were overweight and 23% were obese.