Health indicators are measures used to summarize data on a specific topic in the health of populations. They provide information in various geographic areas and monitor them over time. Therefore, a health indicator can be defined as a method of measuring the character traits of the health of a population. There are different health indicators used to measure the health status of a given population. Statistics indicate that although the United States performs well in different health indicators, there are indicators in which the country does not perform well. In this paper, I will focus on two health indicators that United States ranks low compared to other countries. They include: Nutrition, physical activity, and obesity; injury and violence mortality rates.
Health Indicators
The Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity
Proper nutrition, adequate levels of physical activity, and a healthy weight are crucial in general health and wellbeing of a person. They there factors assist in prevention and reducing the risk of developing chronic and serious health problems such as diabetes, cancer and heart diseases (CDC, 2018). A healthy diet, physical exercise, and healthy weight are important in managing diseases and conditions to prevent them from worsening. Most American’s do not consume a healthy diet and do not engage in physical activity at appropriate levels (CDC, 2018). Adults eat fruits approximately 1.1 times each day. They consume vegetables approximately 1.6 times every day (CDC, 2018).
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Adolescents consume lower amounts of fruit and vegetables compared to adults. Across different ages and gender, U.S citizens’ consumption of fruits and vegetables does not meet the daily recommended allowances (CDC, 2018). Calorie consumption on the other hand is high. As a result, one out of every three adults and one out of every six children suffer from obesity. Obesity leads to conditions such as heart disease and diabetes which are leading in mortality rates (WHO, 2019). Besides severe health impacts, obesity lead to increased medical expenses and a burden to the United States health care system (CDC , 2018).
The prevalence of overweight and obesity have increased rapidly in countries such as England and the United States. Compared to other OECD countries, the U.S is among the countries with the highest prevalence rates of obesity. The rates of obesity range from below 6 percent in countries such as Korea to beyond 30% in the United States and Hungary (OECD, 2019). The number of obese children in Denmark for example is 10% while the number in the United States is so high and reaches 31%. Between 2015 and 2016, the rates of obesity among U.S adults were 39.8%.
According to BRFSS statistics, West Virginia and Mississippi are leading in states with the highest obesity rates in the United States with 38.1% and 37.1% respectively (CDC Adult Obesity Facts, 2018).On the other hand, Colorado and the District of Columbia have the lowest rates of obesity with rates of 22.6% and 23% respectively. The factors related to high obesity rates in the two states could be attributed to levels of education, income in families and rural areas. In West Virginia for example, approximately 689,000 people live in the rural areas. In addition, the U.S. Census (2018) indicates that 19.1% of the people living in West Virginia live in poverty. Colorado on the other hand, ranks among the best in low poverty levels.
Injury and violence
Injuries and deaths caused by vehicle accidents, homicides, suicides and different forms of violence are crucial public health issues in the United States (CDC, 2019). Besides their immediate effect on health, injuries and violence not only affect the person involved but family members and the community in general. Injuries caused intentionally and those that are as a result of violent activities rank among the top fifteen causes of deaths in the United States across all ages (CDC, 2019). Injuries are the main cause of deaths among United States citizens between the ages of one and forty four years. Every year, approximately 29 million individuals suffer from severe injuries that require emergency intervention. Approximately 180,000 people every year succumb to injuries. Fifty one of these deaths are caused by violent situations.
According to CDC (2019) data, homicide rates in the United States were 7.5 times more compared to those of other high income nations. The most likely reason for the high rates in the United States is the high firearm homicide levels that in 2015 were more than 24.9 times more. In addition, firearm mortality rates were 11.4 times more in the United States compared to those in other high income countries throughout the world. The U.S is among the highest ranking countries in the deaths caused by gun violence which is far higher compared to the rates in other different wealthy countries. Alaska and Louisiana rank among the top states with the highest number of deaths related to guns with approximately eighteen deaths out of every 100,000 individuals. On the other hand, New York and Rhodes Island rank among the states with the lowest rates that record less than five gun related deaths. The differences in the rates of gun related deaths in the various states can be attributed to laws regarding gun ownership where the states with weak laws have high gun deaths.
Conclusion
By doing the comparison, I have noted that different factors determine the health of a population. The factors can be related to the social, economic and environmental factors. In addition, policies also influence the state of heath in direct and indirect ways. Health is influenced by complex association between social, environmental, behavioral, economic and environmental factors (CDC, 2013). The rates of different health indicators vary in different countries and states depending on various factors as seen in the comparison.
References
CDC. (2013, November 22). CDC health disparities and inequalities report—United States, 2013. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 62 (3), 1–186. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/other/su6203.pdf
CDC. (2018). Adult obesity facts. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html.
CDC. (2019, January 10). Firearm mortality by State. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosmap/firearm_mortality/firearm.htm
OECD. (2019). OECD health statistics 2019. Retrieved from http://www.oecd.org/els/health-systems/health-data.htm.
WHO. (2019). Global Health Observatory Data (GHO) data. World health statistics overview 2019: Monitoring health for SDGs. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/gho/publications/world_health_statistics/2019/en/
