Summary health statistics for u.s. Adults: national health interview survey, 2004

Objectives-This report presents health statistics from the 2004 National Health Interview Survey for the civilian noninstitutionalized adult population, classified by sex, age, race and Hispanic origin, education, family income, poverty status, health insurance coverage, marital status, place of residence, and region of residence for chronic condition prevalence, health status, functional limitations, health care access and utilization, health behaviors, and human immunodeficiency virus testing. Percentages and percent distributions are presented in both age-adjusted and unadjusted versions. Source of Data-The 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 2004, data were collected for 31,326 adults for the Sample Adult questionnaire. The conditional response rate was 83.8%, and the final response rate was 72.5%. 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. Highlights-In 2004, 62% 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 15% 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 22% 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 24% were obese.