Leading Health Indicators Data from Healthy People 2010

The Disability and Health Team is examining data on people with disabilities for the HP2010 Leading Health Indicators. Within the Healthy People initiative, there are 10 Leading Health Indicators that represent the top health issues in America. Those top 10 Issues include health care access, immunization, overweight & obesity, physical activity, tobacco use, mental health, substance use, sexual behavior, injury, environmental quality.

People with disabilities are represented in 12 of the 22 objectives used to track progress for the 10 Indicators. The Table below highlights the data currently available for people with disabilities. The data suggest that compared to people without disabilities, people with disabilities are closer to the 2010 target for having an ongoing source of care and two vaccinations. However, compared to people with out disabilities, people with disabilities are less likely to have health insurance, engage in physical activity 3 days a week, and are more likely to be obese, and smoke cigarettes.

The Leading Health Indicator data provide an important glimpse of the nation's health status. Examining the health status of people with disabilities is a celebrated emerging public health activity. Still there is a long way to go beginning with including data on people with disabilities in every relevant area of Healthy People 2010.

Reference: US. Department of Health and Human Services. Health People 2010. 2nd ed. With Understanding and Improving Health, and Objectives for Improving Health. 2 Vols. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, November 2000.

 
The following Leading Health Indicators tracking objectives did not include people with disabilities in the data collection template:

22-7   Adolescents who engage in vigorous physical activity that promotes cardiorespiratory fitness 3 or more days per week for 20 or more minutes per occasion. [YRBSS]

27-3b  Teens who smoke cigarettes [YRBSS]

26-10a Teens who used alcohol or illicit drugs during the past 30 days [NHSDA]
26-11c Adults who binge drank over past month [NHSDA]

25-11  Teens who abstain from sex or who use condoms if active [YRBSS]
13-6    Sexually active people who use condoms [NSFG]

15-15a Deaths caused by MVA [NVSS]
15-32   Homicides [NVSS]

8-1a    People exposed to poor quality air [EPA]
27-10  Nonsmokers who are exposed to tobacco smoke [NHANES]

Abbreviations:

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