Trends of Self-Perceived Health Status Among Adults in the United States: 1996 -2008

BACKGROUND: Health status trend data informs healthcare planning and policy development. A recent report suggested a monotonic decline in perceived health status among American adults. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated trends in perceived health status and trends in disparities perceived health status among adults in the US (1996–2007 as available). METHODS: Using the MEPSnet Query tool, data from Medical Expenditure Panel Survey 1996-2007 was analyzed. Point estimates and confidence intervals for self-reported health status of adults (18-65 years) were stratified by socio-demographic-economic factors such as sex, race/ethnicity, education, and poverty levels. Trends and differences in proportion between groups were tested using appropriate chi-square tests. RESULTS: Preliminary results show that for all adults, in 1996, 2.8% reported poor health-status (fair: 7.69%) whereas in 2008, 2.59% reported poor status (fair: 8.1%). Proportions of population reporting good or very good health-status also produced similar close values with chi-square tests for trend not being statistically significant (e.g., p=0.62 for very good health-status trend). The only statistically significant trend was seen in report of excellent health (P<0.0001) (1996: 30.69% vs. 2007: 28.17%). However, this overall decline of 2.68 percentage points over an 11-year period was not considered to be meaningful. Similar results were obtained for race, sex and geographical parameters. Over the study period, although fewer whites and blacks reported excellent/very good health status (statistically significant trend, p<0.0001), the absolute changes were too small to be considered a meaningful change (Blacks: 56.56% in 1996 vs. 56.13% in 2007; Whites: 66.33% in 1996 vs. 63.21% in 2007). The racial disparities between in health-status reporting did not change significantly over time (Whites/Blacks in 1996: 66.33%/56.56% vs. 63.21%/56.13% in 2007). Disparities between sexes in health-status reporting did not change significantly over time (e.g. men were more likely to report excellent health status than women - 1996: Prevalence OR (95%CI) = 1.30 (1.18, 1.33) (p<0.0001); 2008: 1.23 (1.11, 1.25) (p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Population's self-perceived health-status did not show any meaningful change over 11 years. Racial and other disparities in health status remained the same over the study period. This study was supported by NIH.