QuickStats: Prevalence of Selected Unhealthy Behavior Characteristics Among Adults Aged >18 Years, by Race* --- National Health Interview Survey, United States, 2002--2004^†

* Racial categories include persons who indicated a single race only and are consistent with the 1997 Office of Management and Budget federal guidelines for race reporting.

^† Estimates are age adjusted using the 2000 projected U.S. population as the standard population and using three age groups: 18--44 years, 45--64 years, and >65 years. Estimates are based on household interviews of a sample of the civilian, noninstitutionalized U.S. adult population. Denominators for each percentage exclude persons with unknown health-behavior characteristics.

^§ American Indian or Alaska Native.

^¶ Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander.

** 95% confidence interval.

^†† Smoked at least 100 cigarettes in lifetime and currently smoked.

^§§ Never engaged in any light, moderate, or vigorous leisure-time physical activity.

^¶¶ Defined as a body mass index (weight [kg]/height [m²]) of >30.

*** Usual number of hours of sleep during a 24-hour period. Based on data from 2004 only.

The percentage of adults with selected unhealthy behavior characteristics varied by race during 2002--2004. Blacks and Asians had the lowest prevalence of consuming five or more alcoholic drinks in a single day; Asians also had the lowest prevalence of current cigarette smoking and obesity. AIAN had among the highest prevalences of consuming five or more drinks, current smoking, and obesity. Generally, physical inactivity was the most prevalent unhealthy behavior.

SOURCE: Adams PF, Schoenborn CA. Health behaviors of adults: United States 2002--2004. Vital Health Stat 2006;10(230). Available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_10/sr10_230.pdf.

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Date last reviewed: 1/31/2007