NCHStats

Physical fitness has been defined as “a set of attributes that people have or achieve that relates to the ability to perform physical activity.”  Cardiorespiratory fitness is one component of physical fitness and is defined as the “ability of the circulatory and respiratory systems to supply fuel during sustained physical activity and to eliminate fatigue products after supplying fuel.” Cardiorespiratory fitness is most often measured by maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max), which is the maximum capacity of the body to transport and use oxygen during physical activity.

A new NCHS report presents the most recent national data on the percentage of youth who had adequate levels of cardiorespiratory fitness. Adequate levels of cardiorespiratory fitness are based on standards that are age- and sex-specific and established based on how fit children need to be for good health.

Key Findings from the Report:

• In 2012, about 42% of U.S. youth aged 12–15 years had adequate levels of cardiorespiratory fitness.
• The percentage of youth who had adequate levels of cardiorespiratory fitness did not differ by race and Hispanic origin, or by family income-to-poverty ratio.
• The percentage of youth who had adequate levels of cardiorespiratory fitness decreased as weight status increased.
• The percentage of youth aged 12–15 who had adequate levels of cardiorespiratory fitness decreased from 52.4% in 1999–2000 to 42.2% in 2012.

A recent NCHS Data Brief, drawing on data collected through the National Vital Statistics System, has received nationwide media attention for its findings on first-time births to older mothers. Data Brief No. 152, “First Births to Older Women Continue to Rise,” found significant increases over the past four decades in the average age of women at the birth of their first child. The study’s authors, T. J. Mathews and Dr. Brady Hamilton, ascribed this increase in part to the shift in first births to women 35 years and older.

The authors note that delayed childbearing affects the size, composition and future growth of the population of the United States. First time older mothers are generally better educated and more likely to have more resources (including higher incomes) than those at the youngest reproductive ages. However, increased health risks to older mothers–especially those 40 years and older–and their infants are well documented.

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In 2012, 8.1% of births in the United States were late preterm births. The percentage of births that were late preterm varied by state and ranged from 6.2% in Vermont to 12.0% in Mississippi.

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6320a6.htm?s_cid=mm6320a6_e

NCHS has a new report that presents trends in the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) by office-based physicians during 2007–2012.  Rates of adoption are compared by selected physician and practice characteristics.

Key Findings from the Report:

• In 2012, 71.8% of office-based physicians reported using any type of EHR system, up from 34.8% in 2007.
• In 2012, 39.6% of physicians had an EHR system with features meeting the criteria of a basic system, up from 11.8% in 2007; 23.5% of office-based physicians had an EHR system with features meeting the criteria of a fully functional system in 2012, up from 3.8% in 2007.
• In 2007, a wide gap existed in use of any type of EHR system between physicians in practices with 11 or more physicians (74.3%) compared with physicians in smaller practices (20.6% among solo practitioners); the gap, however, narrowed during 2007–2012.
• In 2007, no significant gap was observed in adoption of a fully functional system between primary care (4.7%) and nonprimary care physicians (2.8%); the gap, however, widened over time (27.9% compared with 19.4% in 2012).
• The difference in adoption of a fully functional system between physicians in practices with 11 or more physicians compared with solo practitioners was 10.4 percentage points in 2007; the gap widened to 30.6 percentage points in 2012.

The state of Kansas scores lower than the nation overall in cesarean deliveries, preterm births, and low birthweight. The state also has a lower mortality rate in homicides and drug poisoning deaths.

However, among the 10 leading causes of death in the United States, Kansas has mortality rates that are higher than the U.S. rates for the following causes: chronic lower respiratory diseases, stroke, accidents, kidney disease, influenza/pneumonia, and suicide.