N C H S - N V S S - Health Conditions

Health Conditions

Fifteen percent of the decedents were reported to suffer from some type of memory impairment, and 13 percent reported other mental, nervous, or emotional problems. Almost one-third (32 percent) of the decedents were reported to suffer from some form of arthritis

Number and percent of decedents reported to have had selected health conditions during their lifetime: United States, 1993

Health condition	Number	Percent¹	Standard error of percent	95 percent confidence interval (+/- percent)
Hypertension	949,000	42.8	0.9862	1.9
Heart attack	593,000	26.8	0.8647	1.7
Angina pectoris	559,000	25.2	0.8816	1.7
Stroke	444,000	20.0	0.8111	1.6
Alzheimer's disease	117,000	5.3	0.4756	0.9
Other memory impairment	219,000	9.9	0.6142	1.2
Other mental, nervous, or emotional problems	287,000	13.0	0.6700	1.3
Diabetes	411,000	18.6	0.8009	1.6
Cancer, except skin	712,000	32.1	0.6594	1.3
Asthma	139,000	6.3	0.4481	0.9
Other lung condition	369,000	16.7	0.7134	1.4
Cirrhosis of the liver	86,000	3.9	0.3545	0.7
Arthritis	719,000	32.4	0.9338	1.8

¹Percents based on 2,215,000 decedents.
NOTES: Excludes deaths to persons under 15 years of age and those deaths occurring in South Dakota.
Standard errors are estimated using the statistical software package SUDAAN.
SOURCE: NCHS, National Mortality Followback Survey -- provisional data, 1993.

About one-half of the decedents were reported to have had a functional limitation due to physical or mental conditions during their last year of life. Responses ranged from a high of 59 percent for walking a quarter of a mile, to a low of 24 percent for using the telephone.

Number and percent of decedents reported to have had select functional limitations in the last year of life as a result of physical or mental conditions: United States, 1993

Functional limitation	Number	Percent¹	Standard error of percent	95 percent confidence interval (+/- percent)
Lifting/carrying 10 lbs.	1,213,000	54.7	0.9784	1.9
Climbing a flight of stairs w/o rest	1,243,000	56.1	0.9750	1.9
Walking a quarter of a mile	1,310,000	59.1	0.9568	1.9
Heavy housework	1,109,000	50.0	0.9763	1.9
Shopping for personal items	1,021,000	46.1	0.9785	1.9
Going outside the home alone	1,116,000	50.4	0.9819	1.9
Light housework	920,000	41.5	0.9735	1.9
Preparing meals	822,000	37.1	0.9451	1.9
Managing money	711,000	32.1	0.9329	1.8
Using the telephone	525,000	23.7	0.8646	1.7
Getting around inside the home	857,000	38.7	0.9727	1.9
Walking	1,202,000	54.3	0.9727	1.9
Getting in and out of bed or chairs	1,041,000	47.0	0.9775	1.9
Eating	753,000	34.0	0.9253	1.8
Using the toilet	963,000	43.5	0.9747	1.9
Bathing or showering	1,148,000	51.8	0.9682	1.9
Dressing	1,005,000	45.4	0.9801	1.9

Fifty-eight percent of the decedents with reported functional limitations received help at home from their spouse. Daughters and visiting nurses provided home help for 46 and 31 percent of the decedents, respectively.

Number and percent of decedents with reported functional limitations who received help at home by who provided assistance: United States, 1993

Assistance provider	Number	Percent¹	Standard error of percent	95 percent confidence interval (+/- percent)
Spouse	494,000	57.3	1.5543	3.0
Mother	42,000	4.9	0.5393	1.1
Father	11,000	1.3	0.2333	0.5
Son	194,000	22.5	1.3642	2.7
Daughter	401,000	46.5	1.6080	3.2
Other relative	239,000	27.7	1.4308	2.8
Neighbor or friend	118,000	13.7	1.1082	2.2
Home hospice care	148,000	17.2	1.1596	2.3
Visiting nurse	263,000	30.6	1.5063	3.0
Visiting homemaker	81,000	9.4	0.9728	1.9
Personal care aide	114,000	13.2	1.1147	2.2
Other person	75,000	8.7	0.9182	1.8

¹Percents based on 861,000 decedents with functional limitations who received home help.
NOTES: Excludes deaths to persons under 15 years of age and those deaths occurring in South Dakota.
Standard errors are estimated using the statistical software package SUDAAN.
SOURCE: NCHS, National Mortality Followback Survey -- provisional data, 1993.

Almost 60 percent of the decedents were reported to have spent at least one-half a day in bed due to illness or injury. Illness or injury kept 9 percent of the decedents in bed at least one-half of each day during their last year of life.

Number and percent distribution of decedents by time illness or injury kept decedent in bed for more than half a day during the last year of life: United States, 1993

Number of times illness kept in bed	Number	Percent	Standard error of percent	95 percent confidence interval (+/- percent)
Total	2,215,000	100.0	0.0000	0.0
None	803,000	36.2	0.9345	1.8
1 to 6 days	246,000	11.1	0.6383	1.3
7 to 13 days	112,000	5.0	0.4474	0.9
14 days to under 1 month	185,000	8.3	0.5502	1.1
1 up to 3 months	269,000	12.1	0.6449	1.3
3 up to 6 months	148,000	6.7	0.5014	1.0
6 up to 9 months	62,000	2.8	0.3232	0.6
9 up to 12 months	68,000	3.1	0.3350	0.7
Entire year	202,000	9.1	0.5799	1.1
Item nonresponse	123,000	5.5	0.4366	0.9

NOTES: Excludes deaths to persons under 15 years of age and those deaths occurring in South Dakota.
Figures may not add to totals due to rounding. Standard errors are estimated using the statistical software package SUDAAN.
SOURCE: NCHS, National Mortality Followback Survey -- provisional data, 1993.

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This page last reviewed January 11, 2007

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Health Statistics
Hyattsville, MD
20782

1-800-232-4636