According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) 2010 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), fewer Americans are reporting that they have excellent or very good health. 65.7% of those surveyed in 2010 indicated having “excellent or very good health” compared to a peak of 69.1% of those surveyed in 1998.
However, this might not mean that we are actually less healthy. As the data below indicates, older people, and in particular, older women, are less likely to report feeling excellent or very good. As this population continues to grow, we can expect to see the overall numbers for the population continue to decline. To really gauge our nation’s health, it would be necessary to see this data broken out by age group over time. Either way, if you or your loved one answered “poor” to the survey, you should consider a medical alarm.
