Summary health statistics for U.S. adults: National Health Interview Survey, 2006

This report presents health statistics from the 2006 National Health Interview Survey for the civilian noninstitutionalized adult population, classified by sex, age, race and ethnicity, education, family income, poverty status, health insurance coverage, marital status, and place and region of residence. Estimates are presented for selected chronic conditions and mental health characteristics, functional limitations, health status, health behaviors, health care access and utilization, and human immunodeficiency virus testing. Percentages and percent distributions are presented in both age-adjusted and unadjusted versions.

NHIS is a household, 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. In 2006, data were collected for 24,275 adults for the Sample Adult questionnaire. The conditional response rate was 81.4%, and the final response rate was 70.8%. The health information for adults in this report was obtained from one randomly selected adult per family. In very rare instances where the sample adult was not able to respond for him or herself, a proxy was allowed.

In 2006, 61% of adults 18 years of age or over reported excellent or very good health. Sixty-two percent of adults never participated in any type of vigorous leisure-time physical activity, and 16% of adults did not have a usual place of health care. Eleven percent of adults had been told by a doctor or health professional that they had heart disease, and 23% had been told on two or more visits that they had hypertension. Twenty-one percent of all adults were current smokers and 21% were former smokers. Based on estimates of body mass index, 35% of adults were overweight and 26% were obese.