More U.S. Men Report Negative Health Behaviors than U.S. Women
Men should look for ways to make healthy choices in their daily lives, including physical activity, eating, and alcohol and tobacco use.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, males make up 49.3% of the United States population. CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) recently released 2008 data on U.S. adult health risks and behaviors. Self-reported health practices and behaviors for U.S. men shows compelling health gaps when compared with the values reported for their female counterparts.
Men and women reported excellent to poor health status in similar proportions during 2008:
|
Health Status |
Men |
Women |
Excellent |
20.5% |
19.9% |
Very Good |
34.5% |
34.7% |
Good |
30.5% |
29.8% |
Fair |
10.5% |
11.7% |
Poor |
3.7% |
3.8% |
Compared with women, more men are reporting health challenges across several risk factors. Men were more likely than women to report smoking, binge drinking, and being overweight or obese. They are also more likely to report having a heart attack, angina or coronary heart disease. Finally, men were less likely than women to report eating the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables per day (five servings).
About BRFSS
BRFSS is a state-based telephone health survey that collects information on health risk behaviors, preventive health practices, and health care access primarily related to chronic disease and injury. BRFSS data uses median values for state-by-state prevalence, or the number of existing cases in a defined group of people during a specific time period. For many states, BRFSS is the only available source of timely, accurate data on health-related behaviors. The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is the world’s largest, on-going telephone health survey system, tracking health conditions and risk behaviors in the United States yearly since 1984.
Currently data are collected monthly in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. More than 400,000 adults are interviewed each year. States use BRFSS data to identify emerging health problems, establish and track health objectives, and develop and evaluate public health policies and programs. Many states also use BRFSS data to support health-related legislative efforts.
Data Source: 2008 BRFSS Prevalence and Trends. Available from http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/BRFSS/.
More Information
- BRFSS
- CDC’s Men’s Health
- CDC Feature: Get Smart with Fruits and Veggies!
- CDC Feature: Fit Physical Activity into Your Life, Your Way
- Listen to "Binge Drinking is Dangerous" in A Cup of Health with CDC (
4:36)or A Minute of Health with CDC ( 0:59) - Send a Health-e-Card about Men’s Health
