Prevalence of Incontinence Among Older Americans

June 25, 2014

Doc2A new report presents national estimates of incontinence prevalence in the United States using data source-specific definitions of incontinence among persons aged 65 and over by sociodemographic characteristics during 2007–2010.

This first-time report presents national estimates on incontinence for subpopulations of older persons sampled in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics surveys and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Long Term Care Minimum Data Set. Because a different definition of incontinence is used by each data collection system, it is not possible to make data comparisons between them or to summarize results across all surveys. Accordingly, only survey-specific results are presented. Including recent data from all of these data collection systems facilitates a multidimensional picture of incontinence, while underscoring the need for a standardized definition.

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QuickStats: Percentage of Physician Office Visits for Which Preventive Care Was the Major Reason for Visit, by Selected Specialties

June 23, 2014

From 2001–2002 to 2009–2010, the percentage of physician office visits for which preventive care was the major reason for visit increased for the specialties of general/family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, and obstetrics and gynecology. During 2009–2010, approximately two thirds of visits to obstetricians and gynecologists were for preventive care, including prenatal and postnatal care, and more than one third of visits to pediatricians were for preventive care.

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6324a6.htm?s_cid=mm6324a6_w

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Early Release of Selected Estimates Based on Data From the 2013 National Health Interview Survey

June 19, 2014

A new report from NCHS updates estimates for 15 selected health measures based on data from the 2013 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and presents estimates from 1997 through 2012 for comparison. The 15 Early Release measures are being published prior to final data editing and final weighting to provide access to the most recent information from NHIS. The estimates will be updated as each new quarter of NHIS data becomes available.

 The 15 measures included in the report are lack of health insurance coverage and type of coverage, having a usual place to go for medical care, obtaining needed medical care, receipt of influenza vaccination, receipt of pneumococcal vaccination, obesity, leisure-time physical activity, current cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing, general health status, personal care needs, serious psychological distress, diagnosed diabetes, and asthma episodes and current asthma.

Please click on the link below to view the results by health measure:

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis/released201406.htm

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Recent Declines in Induction of Labor by Gestational Age

June 18, 2014

During the 1980s, 1990s, and through 2006, the length of pregnancies in the United States shortened. From 1981 through 2006, the proportion of infants born at less than 39 completed weeks of gestation increased nearly 60%, while births at 39 weeks or more declined more than 20%. This shift in the gestational age distribution has been associated with greater use of cesarean delivery and induction of labor prior to full term. In more recent years, however, the trend towards shorter gestational ages has partially reversed. Since 2006, births delivered at less than 39 weeks have declined (down 12%), and births at 39 weeks or more have increased (up 9%).

A new NCHS report explores trends in induction of labor for singleton births by gestational age, maternal age, race and Hispanic origin, and state for 2006–2012.

Key Findings from the Report:

  • After nearly 20 years of consecutive increases, induction of labor for singleton births reached a high of 23.8% in 2010, then declined in 2011 (23.7%) and 2012 (23.3%).
  • Trends in induction rates vary by gestational age, with rates for most gestational age groups declining since 2010. Induction rates for births at 36, 37, and 38 weeks have declined since 2006, with the largest decrease at 38 weeks.
  • From 2006 through 2012, induction rates at 38 weeks of gestation declined for all maternal age groups under 40 and for each of the largest race and Hispanic origin groups.
  • Induction rates at 38 weeks declined for 36 states and the District of Columbia (DC) from 2006 through 2012, with declines ranging from 5% to 48%; rates for 31 states and DC declined at least 10%.

 

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Marriage, Cohabitation, and Men’s Use of Preventive Health Care Services

June 16, 2014

In honor of National Men’s Health Week and Father’s Day, NCHS has released a new report that looks at preventive health care service use among groups of men aged 18-64: married men, cohabitating men and other not-married men.  The consistency of observed differences by age and health insurance coverage status were also investigated.

Previous research has demonstrated that married men are more likely than not-married men to seek preventive health care services because their spouses encourage them to do so. It was not known, however, whether cohabiting partners of not-married men play a health-promoting role similar to that of spouses.

There is also a Father’s Day connection since two of the authors of the report are related.  Joe Blumberg is Stephen Blumberg’s father and they came up with the idea for this research project while discussing men’s health after family dinners in the winter.  The report was further refined with the assistance of Dr. Anjel Vahratian.

Key Findings from the Report:

  • Among men aged 18–64, those who were married were more likely than cohabiting men and other not-married men to have had a health care visit in the past 12 months.
  • Marriage was associated with greater likelihood of a health care visit for both younger and older men, and for men with health insurance.
  • Among those for whom blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes screenings are recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, married men were more likely than cohabiting men to have received these clinical preventive services in the past 12 months.
  • Cohabiting men were less likely than other not-married men to have had a health care visit, cholesterol check, or diabetes screening.

 

 

 

 

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STATE VITALS: KENTUCKY

June 6, 2014

Kentucky ranks 5th in the United States in cesarean deliveries and 8th in teen births.  The blue grass state also has mortality rates that are higher than the U.S. rates for the 10 leading causes of death in the U.S.

However, Kentucky has a lower homicide rate than the U.S. rate.

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