Health Characteristics of Adults 55 & Older

By Richard Shank

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report outlines health trends for adults 55 years old and older from 2004 to 2007 and suggests that health disparities exist for older adults.

Using data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), the report breaks down the health characteristics of four age groups: 55 to 64 years, 65 to 74 years, 75 to 84 years, and 85 years old and older.

The findings suggest that the prevalence of poor health status, chronic health conditions, physical and social impairments, and difficulties with health care access and utilization all increased with age. Furthermore, there were significant differences in health status by poverty level. Poor adults and adults on Medicaid reported greater health problems, lower physical and social functioning, and lower health utilization.

For more detailed results, visit http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr016.pdf.

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