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Health & Well-Being » Physical Health Status

Why It's Important

Healthy lifestyle behaviors such as physical activity, good nutrition and oral health can help maintain a healthy status and prevent disease. Physical activity improves health for people of all ages. Research shows that physical activity can lower the risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension and certain types of cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis and obesity. Exercise can also increase strength and balance to prevent injuries such as falls, improve mental health and help maintain independent living, thus enhancing overall quality of life.


Good nutrition lowers the risk for many chronic diseases, including heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancer, diabetes and osteoporosis. Nutrition interventions can reduce adverse health outcomes. Factors such as poor oral health and difficulty in eating can lead to malnutrition. Successful oral disease prevention measures adopted by communities, individuals and oral health professionals have led to marked improvements in dental health.

See Data By: Richmond MSA | Virginia | National

How Richmond Is Doing

Content coming.

How Virginia Is Doing

According to recent data from the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion in a report titled, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System:

Health Trends for Virginia

(CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION.BEHAVIORAL RISK FACTOR SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM SURVEY DATA)

 

How the U.S. Is Doing

According to the AOA, A Profile of Older Americans:

  • There was little difference between the sexes on this measure, but African-Americans** (23.7%), older American Indians/Alaska Natives (24.3%) and older Hispanics (28.9%) were less likely to rate their health as excellent or very good than were older Whites** (40.4%) or older Asians (34.1%).
  • Among the most frequently occurring conditions older persons in 2004-2005 were:
    • hypertension (48%)
    • diagnosed arthritis (47%)
    • all types of heart disease (32%)
    • any cancer (20%), diabetes (16%)
    • sinusitis (14%)
  • In 2006, over 13.1 million persons aged 65 and older were discharged from short stay hospitals. This is a rate of 3,508 for every 10,000 persons aged 65+, which is over three times the comparable rate for persons of all ages (which was 1,169 per 10,000).
    • The average length of stay for persons aged 65+ was 5.5 days; the comparable rate for persons of all ages was 4.8 days.
      o The average length of stay for older people has decreased by five days since 1980.
    • Older persons averaged more office visits with doctors in 2005: 6.5 office visits for those aged 65-74 and 7.7 office visits for persons over 75 while persons aged 45-65 averaged only 3.9 office visits during that year.
  • Older persons averaged more office visits with doctors in 2005: 6.5 office visits for those aged 65-74 and 7.7 office visits for persons over 75 while persons aged 45-65 averaged only 3.9 office visits during that year.
  • In 2006, older consumers averaged out-of-pocket health care expenditures of $4,631, an increase of 62 percent since 1996.
    • The total population spent considerably less, averaging $2,853 in out-of-pocket costs.
    • Older Americans spent 12.7 percent of their total expenditures on health, more than twice the proportion spent by all consumers (5.7%).
    • Health costs incurred on average by older consumers in 2006 consisted of $2,770 (60%) for insurance, $859 (18%) for drugs, $844 (18.5%) for medical services, and $159 (3%) for medical supplies.

    (AOA, PROFILE OF OLDER AMERICANS, 2008)

According to the National Institute of Aging, Growing Older in America, The Health & Retirement Study, there are wide variations in the health of Americans age 50 and older, with differences that vary by age, race/ethnicity and lifestyle.

  • Health varies by socioeconomic status.
  • Older Americans are in reasonably good health overall, but there are striking differences by age and by race and ethnicity.
  • Health has an important influence on older people’s ability to work.
  • Lifestyle factors influence older adults’ health and physical well-being.
  • Heavy smokers underestimate the mortality effects of smoking.
  • Cognitive health declines with age.
  • Caregiving in the home for older adults with cognitive impairment places a substantial burden on families. The rate of severe depression rises with age.
  • There are considerable differences in use of the health care system, in health expenditures and in the availability of insurance by age and by race and ethnicity.
  • Older people use alternative medicines and supplements to a surprising degree.
  • White Americans ages 55 to 64 are less healthy than their British counterparts, despite higher overall incomes and higher levels of health care spending.

Health and Work

  • Twenty percent of men and twenty-five percent of women 55-64 reported a health problem that limited their ability to work.
  • Of those ages 55 to 64 who had work limiting health problems, 48 percent of the men and 52 percent of the women reported at least one ADL or IADL limitation, while the others reported no such limitations.
  • HRS data from 1992 to 1996 revealed that more than one-half of men and one-third of women who leave the labor force before reaching the Social Security early retirement age of 62 reported that health limited their capacity to work.
  • Cigarette smoking and a sedentary lifestyle had a large impact on both the incidence of workforce disability and death.
  • The major health problems reported by HRS respondents age 55 and older who were working for pay in 2002 were arthritis and hypertension: forty-seven percent of all workers reported having arthritis, and forty-four percent reported having a hypertensive condition.
  • Ten percent or more of the working respondents reported having heart conditions, diabetes, psychological problems or cancer.
  • By far, the largest reported causes of work limitation among people ages 55 to 64 who were not working were arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions (47 percent), followed by cardiovascular conditions (16 percent), neurological problems (8 percent), and allergies and respiratory problems (7 percent).
  • Involuntary job loss was perceived to affect negatively both physical functioning and mental health; likewise, becoming re-employed was found to be positively associated with improved physical functioning and mental health.

(NIA HEALTH AND RETIREMENT STUDY, 2007)

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Healthy People 2010, Oral Health Objectives:


Oral Health for Older Americans

  • The Baby Boomer generation will be the first where the majority will maintain their natural teeth over their entire lifetime, having benefited from water fluoridation and fluoride toothpastes.
  • Over the past 10 years, the number of adults missing all their natural teeth has declined from 31 percent to 25 percent for those aged 60 years and older, and from 9 percent to 5 percent for those adults between 40 and 59 years.
  • Over 40 percent of poor adults (20 years and older) have at least one untreated decayed tooth compared to 16 percent of non-poor adults.
  • Almost one of every four adults reported some form of facial pain in the past six months.
  • Most adults show signs of gum disease; severe gum disease affects about 14 percent of adults aged 45 to 54 years.
  • Signs and symptoms of soft tissue diseases such as cold sores are common in adults and affect about 19 percent of those aged 25 to 44 years.
  • Chronic disabling diseases such as jaw joint diseases (TMD), diabetes and osteoporosis affect millions of Americans and compromise oral health and functioning.
  • Women report certain painful mouth and facial conditions (TMD disorders, migraine headaches and burning mouth syndrome) more often than do men.
  • Seventy percent of adults reported visiting a dentist in the past 12 months.
  • Oral diseases and conditions are common among older Americans who grew up without the benefit of community water fluoridation and other fluoride products.
  • Older Americans with the poorest oral health are those who are economically disadvantaged, lack insurance and are members of racial and ethnic minorities.
  • Being disabled, homebound or institutionalized also increases the risk of poor oral health.
  • About 25 percent of adults 60 years old and older no longer have any natural teeth. Interestingly, toothlessness varies greatly by state.
  • Older Americans continue to experience dental decay on the crowns of teeth (coronal caries) and on tooth roots (because of gum recession). In fact, older adults may have new tooth decay at higher rates than do children.
  • At all age’s, men are more likely than women to have more severe disease.

Disease

  • About 23 percent of 65- to 74-year-olds have severe disease, which is measured by 6mm loss of attachment of the tooth to the adjacent gum tissue.
  • Painful conditions that affect the facial nerves are more common among the elderly and can be severely debilitating.
  • Neurological diseases associated with age, such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease and stroke also affect oral sensory and motor functions, in addition to limiting the ability to care for oneself.
  • Oral and pharyngeal cancers, which are diagnosed in some 31,000 Americans each year, result in about 7,400 deaths each year.

Insurance

  • Many older Americans do not have dental insurance. Often these benefits are lost when they retire.
  • The situation may be worse for older women, who generally have lower incomes and may never have had dental insurance.
  • Medicaid funds dental care for low income and disabled elderly in some states, but reimbursements for this care are low.
  • Medicare was not designed to provide routine dental care.

Repercussions of Poor Oral Health & Medicines

  • Having missing teeth can affect nutrition, since people without teeth often prefer soft, easily chewed foods.
  • Because dentures are not as efficient for chewing food as natural teeth, denture wearers also may choose soft foods and avoid fresh fruits and vegetables.
  • Periodontal (gum) disease or tooth decay (cavities) are the most frequent causes of tooth loss.
  • Over 400 commonly used medications can be the cause of a dry mouth. Reduction of the flow of saliva increases the risk for oral disease, since saliva contains antimicrobial components as well as minerals that help rebuild tooth enamel attacked by decay-causing bacteria.

(CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION,
HEALTHY PEOPLE 2010 ORAL HEALTH OBJECTIVES, 2009)

 

Data & Information Sources

Atlas of Community Health
http://vaatlas.vahealthycommunities.com/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey Data, Atlanta, Georgia: U.S. Department of Health and Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
http://www.cdc.gov/BRFSS/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Healthy People 2010, Oral Health Objectives
http://www.cdc.gov/OralHealth/topics/healthy_people.htm

Federal Interagency Forum on Aging Related Statistics

http://www.agingstats.gov/agingstatsdotnet/main_site/default.aspx

National Institute of Aging, Growing Older in America, The Health & Retirement Study, 2007

http://www.nia.nih.gov/NR/rdonlyres/D164FE6C-C6E0-4E78-B27F-7E8D8C0FFEE5/0/HRS_Text_WEB.pdf

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey

http://www.census.gov/acs/www/