 Do you consider yourself
to be slightly overweight, very overweight, slightly underweight, very underweight or about the right weight?
Just under half of Hall Countians in the
study (46%) consider themselves to be just about the right weight.
This compares with 39% who consider themselves to be
slightly overweight and 9% who say they are very overweight. By
contrast, only 4% consider themselves to be slightly underweight and
only 1% very underweight. Women are somewhat more likely than men to view themselves as
overweight (12% for women versus 4% for men).
Those aged 41-60 are more likely to see themselves as slightly
overweight or very overweight.
Of those who say they are overweight, 39%
also use tobacco.
Do you know what your cholesterol level
is?
Only one-third of adults in the survey
(33.5%) know their cholesterol level. Those least likely to know their
cholesterol are those aged 18-30, which is not a surprise. However, 67%
of those aged 41-50 do not know their cholesterol number either.
Among ethnic respondents 82% of African-Americans and 81% of
Hispanics do not know their cholesterol number.
Of those who do know their cholesterol
level, 71% report that it is less than 200. One in five (20%) report
between 200 to 275. Only 2%
report their cholesterol level higher than 275.
Most physicians consider cholesterol above 200 to be an elevated
risk for heart disease. Cholesterol
above 275 is considered to be very high risk.
How would you describe your level of physical fitness?
 Just over half of Hall Countians (54.5%)
see themselves as somewhat physically fit. Equal numbers (17%), see
themselves as either very fit or somewhat unfit.
Those most likely to rate their level of fitness as poor are
older adults, those in poor health and those with less than a high
school education.
Those most likely to report their level of
fitness as excellent are, not surprisingly, aged 18 to 30.
This is, of course, the same group that is most likely to say
their health is excellent, least likely to have health insurance and
least likely to see a doctor. There
is no elixir like youth.
It is interesting to note that there is a
link between economic status and physical fitness.
Those in the highest income levels, earning more than $90,000,
are far more likely to report their level of fitness as being excellent
than those in the next lowest income brackets. Among those earning more
than $90,000 per year 28% report their level of fitness as excellent. By
contrast, only 11% of those earning $75,000 to $90,000 per year, and 13%
of those earning $60,000 to $75,000 per year, report their level of
fitness as excellent.
Similarly, those earning more than $90,000
per year are more likely to report exercising regularly, at least three
times per week. This
compares with only 10% of those earning $75,000 to $90,000.
Within the last 5 years, have you used any form of complementary
or alternative medicine?
Slightly less than 10% (9%) report using
some form of complementary or alternative medicine. This is down
substantially from Healthy Hall 1998 when almost 20% reported using such
therapies. Those aged between 41 and 60 are most likely to be attracted
to these therapies. Further,
those who are separated or divorced are more likely to use alternative
therapies than those who are married.
Since alternative therapies are not
usually paid by health insurance, one might expect the highest earners
to use them. However, those
most likely to use alternative therapies are those who earn between
$60,000 and $75,000 per year, the same group that exercises the least.
It may be that alternative therapies are seen as a shortcut to
better health for those who feel they lack time to exercise.
| Complementary
or alternative medicine is defined as any treatment that is
outside of the traditional practice of medicine.
Treatments like acupuncture, massage and natural remedies are
examples of complementary therapies. |
Do you know how to perform a breast self-exam?
Do you perform a breast self-exam on a regular basis?
 Most women in the study report knowing how
to perform a breast self-exam--94% report that they know how and 67%
report that they do it regularly. Performance of the breast self-exam is
fairly uniform across all sub-groups in the survey, though significant
percentages of women in key age groups say they do not examine their
breasts regularly. For
example, 32% of women aged 41-50 and 27% of those 51-60 say they do not
perform a breast self-exam with regularity.
It is important to note that 64% of the
Hispanic women report performing a breast self-exam regularly in this
new study. This is changed
considerably from the 1998 study when only 20% of Hispanic women
reported performing a breast self-exam on a monthly basis.
Have you ever had a pap smear?
Have you had a pap smear in the past year?
 A near unanimous majority--94% of all
women--reported having had a pap smear, with 68% reported having had a
pap smear within the past year. This is also up somewhat from the 1998
study when only 61% reported having had a pap smear within the past
year. Almost half of those women in households earning less than $15,000
per year (49%) report not having had a pap smear within the past year.
Among Hispanic women, 10% report never having had a pap smear,
compared with 3% Whites and 4% of Blacks.
Have you ever had a mammogram?
Have you had a mammogram in the past year?
 Eight of ten women in the study (80%)
report having had a mammogram at some point in their past.
This means that 20% report never having had a mammogram, which is
substantially lower than the 1998 study when 35% reported never having
had one.
Those most likely to report never having
aa mammogram are those aged 31to 40. Note: this question was not asked
women under the age of 30.
In the 1998 study, Hispanic women were far
more likely to never have had a mammogram than others in the study. This is still true in 2003, but the numbers are
improving. In the 2003
study, 41% of Hispanic women reported never having had a mammogram,
compared to 72% in the 1998 study.
Among women over age 30, 58.5% say they
have had a mammogram in the past year, with the largest group being
those under the age of 40. However,
40% of women aged 41 to 50 did not have a mammogram within the past
year. Further, 59% of Hispanic women did not have a mammogram in the
past year.
Have you ever had a bone density scan for osteoporosis?
This question was only asked of those
women over the age of 50. Of those responding, 52% reported that
"yes" they had had a bone density scan for osteoporosis. Those
most likely to report not having had a bone density scan are those who
have lived in Hall County for less than 5 years (81%), Black women
(76.5%), and Hispanics (75%), and those with less than a high school
education (66%).
Have you ever had a prostate exam or PSA test?
Among the men over age 50 responding, 82%
report having had a prostate exam or PSA test. Those most likely to
report never having had such an exam are Hispanics (67%) and those who
earn less than $15,000 per year (60%).
 Have you ever had a colonoscopy?
This question was asked of both men and
women, but only of those over the age of 50 reported having had a colonoscopy.
Among the women, those most likely to have
never had a colonoscopy are those who are married (63%) with those
children at home (85%). These patterns are similar among men, where 71%
of those who are married report never having had a colonoscopy.
Indicative of poor health habits among some men, it is
interesting to note that 83% of the men over 50 who use tobacco on a
regular basis, also report never having had a colonoscopy.
Further, 72% of men over 50 who smoke have never had a prostate
exam.
Have you ever felt the need to access counseling services for
mental or emotional health reasons?
Only 13.4% of those in the study reported
feeling the need to access counseling services for these reasons. Those
more likely to report needing such services are those who have
experienced separation or divorce (26%). Women and those at mid-life
(aged 41 to 50) are more likely to report needing such services than men
or those in other age groupings.
Have you ever had difficulty getting needed counseling services
for any of the following reasons?
Only 13% of those in the survey reported
difficulty getting needed care. Lack
of money is a primary reason, followed closely by issues of discomfort,
confusion or embarrassment.
Primary Reasons For Lack Of Access To
Mental Health Care
|
Americans
Who Had Problems Getting Needed Mental Health Care |
|
Uninsured |
13% |
|
Insured |
4% |
|
Source: Kaiser
Family Foundation, 2000 |
For information on mental health services available in Hall
County, contact Laurelwood at 770-531-3800.
 Within the past year, have you used tobacco products on a regular
basis?
Just over one in five in the study (22.8%)
reported using tobacco on a regular basis.
This is significantly less than the 1998 study when almost
one-third of respondents reported using tobacco on a regular basis.
Those most likely to smoke are male (28.8%) and under the age of 50.
As seen in the 1998 study, there is a
relationship between education and tobacco use.
For example, 88% of those with bachelors degrees and 96% of those
with graduate degrees report they do not use tobacco, while 26% of high
school drop outs and 32% of those with high school diplomas only report
they do.
Tobacco use appears to be down among Hall
County's youngest adults. In
the 1998 survey, 54% of those 18-25 said they did not use tobacco at
all. The age groupings are different in 2003, but among those age
18-30, 70% say they use no tobacco.
Within the past
year, have you consumed more than three alcoholic
beverages in a single day?
This question was designed to reveal a
willingness to consume alcohol to the point of possible intoxication.
When asked about alcoholic beverage consumption, 16% of those in
the survey said they have consumed more than three alcoholic beverages
in a day. 83% of those responding said they have not.
Those more highly educated are most likely
to report consuming more than three alcoholic beverages in a single day. For example, 25% of those with bachelors degrees and
21% of those with graduate degrees report consuming more than three
alcoholic beverages in a single day, compared with only 5% of those with
less than a high school education and 17% of those with a high school
degree only.
Higher income earners are also more likely
to drink more than three alcoholic beverages in a single day--40% of
those earning more than $90,000 per year reported doing so.
In the past year have you
used marijuana? Used a drug
other than a prescription or over-the-counter drug?
Operated a vehicle after using alcohol or a drug?
A very small percentage (2%) reported
using marijuana in the past year. By comparison, 7% reported using a
drug other than a prescription or over-the-counter medication, and 6%
reported consuming intoxicants prior to
operating a vehicle.
These are relatively small numbers of
respondents reporting what are essentially illegal activities.
Taken at face value, these data could be good news, or they could
mean some respondents were reluctant to admit to potentially illegal
activity to an unknown interviewer.
The
results are somewhat similar to 1998, however, when 9.6 of those
surveyed said someone in their family used illegal drugs in the past two
years.
|
As a rule, Hall
Countians consider themselves to be fairly healthy. In fact, almost 7 out
of 10 rate their health as an 8, 9 or 10 on a 10-point scale (with 10
meaning excellent).
Over half of those surveyed (54%) report
that their health insurance is provided through an employer.
A large majority of those responding, 77%
said they are aware of PeachCare, and 15% report the program covers
their children.
Where Would You Take Your
Child If He/She Needed Care?