QuickStats: Percentage Distribution* of Respondent-Assessed Health Status† Among Adults Aged ≥25 Years, by Completed Education — National Health Interview Survey,§ United States, 2015

Weekly / December 9, 2016 / 65(48);1383

The figure above is a bar chart showing that health status improved as the level of education increased in 2015; 74% of adults with a bachelorâ€™s degree or higher were in excellent or very good health compared with almost 37% of adults with less than a high school diploma. Nearly 28% of adults with less than a high school diploma were in fair or poor health compared with 6% of adults with a bachelorâ€™s degree or higher.

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Abbreviation: GED = General Educational Development high school equivalency diploma.

* With 95% confidence intervals indicated with error bars.

† Based on a survey question that asked respondents, “Would you say [subject name’s] health in general was excellent, very good, good, fair, or poor?” This information was obtained during a part of the interview that allowed proxy responses, such that a knowledgeable adult family member could respond on behalf of sample adults not taking part in this interview. “Excellent” and “very good” are combined as are “fair” and “poor.”

§ Estimates are based on household interviews of a sample of the civilian, noninstitutionalized U.S. population, are shown for sample adults aged ≥25 years, and are age-adjusted to the projected 2000 U.S. population as the standard population using four age groups: 25–44, 45–64, 65–74, and ≥75 years.

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In 2015, health status improved as the level of education increased; 74% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher were in excellent or very good health compared with almost 37% of adults with less than a high school diploma. Nearly 28% of adults with less than a high school diploma were in fair or poor health compared with 6% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Source: Blackwell DL, Villarroel MA. Tables of summary health statistics for U.S. adults: 2015 National Health Interview Survey. National Center for Health Statistics 2016. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis/SHS/tables.htm.

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Reported by: Debra L. Blackwell, PhD, DBlackwell@cdc.gov, 301-458-4103; Maria A. Villarroel, PhD.

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Suggested citation for this article: QuickStats: Percentage Distribution of Respondent-Assessed Health Status Among Adults Aged ≥25 Years, by Completed Education — National Health Interview Survey, United States, 2015. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2016;65:1383. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6548a8 .