The United Health Foundation has released the second installment of its reporting series for 2016 — "America's Health Rankings Spotlight: Impact of Unhealthy Behaviors" — in partnership with the Family Medicine for America's Health. The results should be of concern to healthcare professionals.
1. More than 70 percent of U.S. adults report at least one of the following unhealthy behaviors: smoking, excessive drinking, insufficient sleep, physical inactivity and obesity.
2. More than 25 million Americans (12 percent) report three or more unhealthy behaviors.
3. The odds of having fair or poor health status increase with the addition of each unhealthy behavior studied. For instance, adults that report three or more unhealthy behaviors are 6.1 times more likely to have fair or poor health than those who have zero unhealthy behaviors.
4. Higher education and income levels were linked with a lower likelihood of reporting multiple unhealthy behaviors among adults ages 25 and older. For example, adults earning less than $25,000 per year are more likely to report multiple unhealthy behaviors than those at higher income levels, and adults who have not graduated from high school are more likely to report multiple unhealthy behaviors than those with higher education levels.
5. The share of college graduates ages 25 and older who report multiple unhealthy behaviors is relatively consistent nationwide. The prevalence of multiple unhealthy behaviors among adults who have not graduated from high school, however, varies widely by geography.
The authors of the report suggest focusing public health resources and interventions on individuals with the highest risk of poor health — the 12 percent of adults with multiple unhealthy behaviors — and boosting opportunities for educational attainment.
To access the full report, click here.
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