NCHStats

The old euphemism, “It’s not the cough that will carry you off,” mostly rings true, but the cough is still one of the leading reasons to head to a doctor, according to the 2010 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) conducted by NCHS. A cough is also one of the top reasons why people visit hospital outpatient departments, according to another NCHS health care survey, the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (see Table 7 here).

NCHS data show that the cough is the most common symptom that makes Americans visit the doctor’s office (only “progress visits” and “general medical examinations” rank higher on the list of 20 principal reasons for visiting a physician’s office, according to Table 9 of the 2010 NAMCS Summary Tables).

NCHS’s parent agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, advises that covering your cough can make a huge difference in stopping the spread of germs this — or any — flu season. Not to mention – it’s the polite thing to do!

Wyoming ranks 41st in the U.S. in births to unmarried mothers (35.5% of all births) and cesarean delivery rates (27% of all birhts).   The state’s marriage rate is also higher than the overall U.S. rate (7.8 marriages per 1,000 population vs. 6.8 per 1,000 nationally).

However, among the ten leading causes of death in the U.S., Wyoming mortality rates are higher than the U.S. for the following causes: chronic lower respiratory diseases, accidents, Alzheimer’s disease, influenza/pneumonia and suicides. The state also has higher rates of mortality from drug poisoning than the overall U.S. rate.

Vermont has the lowest preterm birth rate in the country (8.8% of all births) and a significantly lower rate than the U.S. as a whole (11.7%). The state’s teen birth rate is also lower than the overall U.S. rate (16.8% vs. 31.3%).  Vermont has the 10th lowest low birthweight rate in the U.S.

However, among the ten leading causes of death in the U.S., Vermont has mortality rates that are higher than the U.S. rate for the following causes: cancer, chronic lower respiratory disease, Alzheimer’s disease, accidents and suicide. The state also has higher rates of firearm deaths than the overall U.S. rate.

Rates of private insurance and public coverage have been increasing. As coverage and utilization increase, a growing concern is the availability of health care providers to meet patient needs. Almost 90% of general physicians accept new patients with private insurance, but less than 75% accept new patients with public coverage (e.g., Medicare, Medicaid), and the proportion of specialists accepting new patients with Medicare or Medicaid is declining. While most studies approach access from a provider perspective, a new report examines the percentage of people who had each of three adverse experiences with physician availability in the past 12 months. Estimates were produced by age group and health insurance status using data from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey.

Key Findings From the Report:

• In the 12 months prior to interview, 2.4% of people in the U.S. had problems finding a general doctor, 2.1% had been told that a doctor would not accept them as new patients, and 2.9% had been told that a doctor did not accept their health care coverage.
• People under age 65 who had public coverage only were more likely than those with private insurance to have these three types of adverse experiences with physician availability.
• Adults aged 18–64 who were uninsured were more likely than privately insured adults to have trouble finding a general doctor or be told that a doctor would not accept them as new patients.
• Adults aged 65 and over with Medicare only were as likely as those with both Medicare and private insurance to have these experiences with physician availability.

NCHS has released the first in a series of NSLTCP reports today. Long-Term Care Services in the United States: 2013 Overview includes general, descriptive information on the supply, organizational characteristics, staffing, and services offered by providers of long-term care services; and the demographic, health, and functional characteristics of users of these services.

The report shows that in 2012, about 58,000 paid, regulated long-term care services providers served about 8 million people in the U.S.

• Each day in 2012 there were 273,200 participants enrolled in adult day services centers, 1,383,700 residents in nursing homes, and 713,300 residents in residential care communities.
• In 2011, about 4,742,500 patients received services from home health agencies, and 1,244,500 patients received services from hospices.

Selected summary highlights from the report include:

• Provider sectors differed in ownership, and average size and supply varied by region.  In all sectors except adult day services centers, the majority of long-term care services providers were for profit.  The largest share of adult day services centers, home health agencies, hospices, and nursing homes was in the South, while the largest share of residential care communities was in the West.
• Provider sectors differed in their nursing staffing levels, use of social workers, and the types of services offered.  The majority of nursing employee full-time equivalents (FTE) in residential care communities, adult day services centers, and nursing homes were aides, while the majority of nursing FTEs in hospices and home health agencies were registered nurses.
• Rates of use of long-term care services varied by sector and state.  Users of long-term care services varied by sector in their demographic characteristics and functional status.  Hospices, nursing homes, and residential care communities served more persons aged 85 and over, and adult day services centers served more persons under age 65.  Adult day services centers were the most racially and ethnically diverse among the five sectors.

In 2008, the federal government released the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, which provide guidance on the types and amounts of physical activities that provide substantial health benefits for Americans of all ages. Regular physical activity reduces the risk of many adverse health outcomes and helps control the percentage of body fat in children and adolescents. This report provides the first nationally representative data on core, upper body, and lower body measures of muscle strength among U.S. children and adolescents aged 6–15 years by sex and age group.

Key Findings from the Report:

• There were no significant differences by sex in core, lower, or upper body measures of strength for younger boys and girls. In contrast, adolescent boys had higher values than adolescent girls on all measures of strength.
• Adolescent boys and girls had higher scores than younger boys and girls on the core and lower body strength measures and upper body strength as measured by the grip strength test.
• Adolescent boys completed more modified pull-ups, a measure of upper body strength, than younger boys. There was no significant difference in the number of modified pull-ups completed between adolescent and younger girls.