New CDC Materials Reveal the Health Status of Americans and Show the Importance of Preventing Health Risk Behaviors among Youth
Two new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) materials show that, although life expectancy among the U.S. population has increased, certain chronic diseases and conditions that are associated with aging have also risen. In addition, they reveal that the prevalence of health risk behaviors among youth remain at inadequate levels, and that in 2005, almost three quarters of HIV/AIDS diagnoses were for male adolescents and adults.
Health, United States, 2006 shows that in 2004, life expectancy at birth for the total population reached a record high of 77.9 years, up from 75.4 years in 1990. And mortality from heart disease, stroke, and cancer continued to decline in recent years; however certain diseases and conditions continue to grow or are still at very high rates among certain populations and/or age groups. For instance, between 1976-1980 and 2003-2004, the prevalence of overweight among children 6-11 years of age more than doubled from 7% to 19% and the prevalence of overweight among adolescents 12-19 years of age more than tripled from 5% to 17%.
In addition, the report conveys that the prevalence of some risky behaviors among children and young adults remains at unacceptable levels. For example, in 2005, 30% of high school students in grades 11-12 reported binge drinking, and marijuana use increased from 12% to 20% between 1991 and 2003. The report also identifies major disparities in health and health care by socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, and insurance status. For instance, the report shows that in 2004, age-adjusted death rates for the black population exceeded those for the white population by 44% for stroke, 30% for heart disease, 23% for cancer, and 774% for HIV disease.
As shown in A Glance at the HIV/AIDS Epidemic, in 2005, African Americans, who make up approximately 12% of the U.S. population, accounted for almost half of the estimated number of HIV/AIDS cases diagnosed. And the largest estimated proportion of HIV/AIDS diagnoses were for men who have sex with men (MSM), followed by adults and adolescents infected through heterosexual contact. The fact sheet reveals that the estimated number of deaths of persons with AIDS has decreased from 2001 to 2005, but the number of cases diagnosed during the same period increased. The reasons for the increase in the number of AIDS diagnoses are unclear, but may be due to increased emphasis on testing; the fact that more people are living with HIV and thus are experiencing the development of AIDS; and technical issues in the statistical process used in estimating the number of AIDS diagnoses.
For additional information on A Glance at the HIV/AIDS Epidemic, please contact cdcinfo@cdc.gov. For more information on Health, United States, 2006, please contact:
National Center for Health Statistics
3311 Toledo Road
Hyattsville, MD 20782
Phone: (301) 458-4000
Source: Health, United States, 2006 With Chartbook on Trends in the Health of Americans, National Center for Health Statistics, Hyattsville, MD, 2006; and A Glance at the HIV/AIDS Epidemic, CDC HIV/AIDS Fact Sheet, January 2007.