Health - Cigarette Smoking

In 2001 Native Americans and Alaska Natives were more likely to smoke than any other group, with 40.4 percent

TABLE 6.5
Health care visits to doctor's offices, emergency departments, and home visits within the past 12 months, according to selected characteristics: Selected years 1997–2001
[Data are based on household interviews of a sample of the civilian noninstitutionalized population]

	Number of health care visits1
	None			1–3 visits			4–9 visits			10 or more visits
Characteristic	1997	1999	2001	1997	1999	2001	1997	1999	2001	1997	1999	2001
	Percent distribution
All persons2,3	16.5	17.5	16.5	46.2	45.8	45.8	23.6	23.3	24.4	13.7	13.4	13.3
Age
Under 18 years	11.8	12.4	11.6	54.1	54.4	54.6	25.2	25.0	26.1	8.9	8.2	7.6
Under 6 years	5.0	5.9	5.5	44.9	45.9	45.8	37.0	36.8	37.9	13.0	11.3	10.8
6–17 years	15.3	15.5	14.6	58.7	58.5	58.9	19.3	19.4	20.5	6.8	6.7	6.1
18–44 years	21.7	24.2	23.3	46.7	45.8	46.1	19.0	17.8	18.9	12.6	12.3	11.8
18–24 years	22.0	24.8	25.4	46.8	46.1	44.7	20.0	17.8	19.5	11.2	11.4	10.5
25–44 years	21.6	24.0	22.6	46.7	45.7	46.5	18.7	17.8	18.7	13.0	12.6	12.2
45–64 years	16.9	16.9	15.6	42.9	42.4	42.9	24.7	25.0	25.7	15.5	15.7	15.9
45–54 years	17.9	18.4	17.1	43.9	43.2	44.9	23.4	22.8	23.6	14.8	15.7	14.4
55–64 years	15.3	14.7	13.3	41.3	41.1	39.6	26.7	28.4	28.9	16.7	15.8	18.2
65 years and over	8.9	7.9	7.1	34.7	34.3	32.3	32.5	34.1	35.6	23.8	23.7	25.0
65–74 years	9.8	8.6	8.1	36.9	36.9	35.8	31.6	33.2	33.5	21.6	21.3	22.6
75 years and over	7.7	7.2	5.8	31.8	31.1	28.2	33.8	35.1	38.1	26.6	26.6	27.9
Sex3
Male	21.3	23.1	21.3	47.1	45.5	46.5	20.6	20.6	21.6	11.0	10.8	10.7
Female	11.8	12.0	11.9	45.4	46.1	45.1	26.5	25.9	27.1	16.3	15.9	15.9
Race3,4
White only	16.0	16.9	15.9	46.1	45.7	45.7	23.9	23.8	24.8	14.0	13.6	13.5
Black or African American only	16.8	18.4	16.4	46.1	46.2	46.4	23.2	21.9	24.0	13.9	13.5	13.2
American Indian and Alaska Native only	17.1	20.6	*21.4	38.0	34.3	36.4	24.2	27.8	25.4	20.7	17.2	16.9
Asian only	22.8	23.1	20.8	49.1	47.3	48.3	19.7	19.4	22.3	8.3	10.2	8.6
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific
Islander only	- - -	*	*	- - -	*	*	- - -	*	*	- - -	*	*
2 or more races	- - -	15.2	18.0	- - -	40.8	41.2	- - -	22.2	23.5	- - -	21.8	17.3
Hispanic origin and race3,4
Hispanic or Latino	24.9	26.2	27.0	42.3	44.3	40.2	20.3	19.2	20.7	12.5	10.3	12.0
Mexican	28.9	30.2	31.4	40.8	43.0	39.2	18.5	18.2	19.6	11.8	8.7	9.8
Not Hispanic or Latino	15.4	16.2	15.0	46.7	46.0	46.5	24.0	23.9	25.0	13.9	13.9	13.5
White only	14.7	15.5	14.3	46.6	46.0	46.4	24.4	24.5	25.4	14.3	14.1	13.9
Black or African American only	16.9	18.4	16.4	46.1	46.2	46.4	23.1	21.9	24.0	13.8	13.5	13.1
Respondent-assessed health status3
Fair or poor	7.8	9.8	9.0	23.3	25.9	22.1	29.0	24.3	27.7	39.9	40.1	41.3
Good to excellent	17.2	18.1	17.3	48.4	47.7	48.0	23.3	23.2	24.3	11.1	11.0	10.5
Poverty status3,5
Poor	20.3	21.5	21.7	37.1	39.2	37.2	22.7	21.3	23.4	19.9	18.0	17.7
Near poor	19.9	22.2	20.4	42.8	41.6	41.4	21.8	21.5	22.9	15.5	14.7	15.3
Nonpoor	14.0	14.9	14.0	48.0	47.0	47.4	25.0	25.0	25.8	13.0	13.1	12.8
Hispanic origin and race and poverty status3,4,5	Percent distribution
Hispanic or Latino:
Poor	30.6	31.2	34.3	33.8	38.2	32.7	20.0	18.7	18.1	15.6	11.8	14.9
Near poor	29.1	30.2	28.9	39.0	42.1	39.3	20.9	17.5	20.2	11.0	10.1	11.6
Nonpoor	18.7	21.0	19.9	48.6	46.8	44.6	20.3	21.9	24.7	12.3	10.2	10.8
Not Hispanic or Latino:
White only:	16.3	17.2	16.2	37.7	38.9	38.7	24.0	23.3	26.4	22.1	20.7	18.8
Poor	17.1	19.8	17.1	43.7	40.8	41.3	22.3	23.3	24.1	17.0	16.1	17.6
Near poor	13.2	14.0	13.1	47.6	46.9	47.5	25.7	25.5	26.1	13.4	13.6	13.3
Nonpoor
Black or African American only:
Poor	17.8	18.0	17.3	37.4	39.9	38.1	23.3	23.1	24.0	21.5	19.0	20.5
Near poor	18.9	19.9	18.1	43.0	44.0	44.9	23.4	20.5	23.4	14.7	15.6	13.6
Nonpoor	15.6	16.3	14.6	50.5	48.2	47.4	23.3	23.7	26.6	10.6	11.8	11.4
Health insurance status6,7
Under 65 years of age:
Insured	14.3	15.4	14.1	49.0	48.6	49.1	23.6	23.2	24.2	13.1	12.7	12.6
Private	14.7	15.9	14.4	50.6	49.9	50.6	23.1	22.9	24.0	11.6	11.3	11.0
Medicaid	9.8	10.7	10.4	35.5	35.6	35.4	26.5	26.0	26.3	28.2	27.6	27.8
Uninsured	33.7	37.3	37.5	42.8	41.6	41.4	15.3	13.2	14.6	8.2	7.9	6.5

reported as smokers. Next came non-Hispanic whites with 27.4 percent, non-Hispanic African-Americans with 25.7 percent, Hispanics with 23.1 percent, and Asians with 16.2 percent. Among Asian subgroups, Vietnamese (26.5 percent) and Koreans (27.2 percent) had the largest number of smokers. Among Hispanics, 30.4 percent of

TABLE 6.5
Health care visits to doctor's offices, emergency departments, and home visits within the past 12 months, according to selected characteristics: Selected years 1997–2001
[Data are based on household interviews of a sample of the civilian noninstitutionalized population]

	Number of health care visits1
	None			1–3 visits			4–9 visits			10 or more visits
Characteristic	1997	1999	2001	1997	1999	2001	1997	1999	2001	1997	1999	2001
	Percent distribution
65 years of age and over:
Medicare HMO	8.9	5.7	5.0	35.8	34.2	30.0	33.1	34.6	41.1	22.3	25.5	23.9
Private	7.3	6.7	5.5	35.9	34.9	34.6	34.0	34.9	35.2	22.7	23.5	24.8
Medicaid	9.3	*7.3	6.1	19.2	21.4	18.7	27.9	34.8	31.6	43.7	36.5	43.5
Medicare fee-for-service only	15.5	14.0	14.1	34.0	35.8	30.5	28.1	31.0	34.2	22.4	19.2	21.2
Poverty status and health insurance status5,6,7
Under 65 years of age:
Poor:
Insured	13.7	14.6	14.0	38.8	41.4	41.1	24.5	23.2	24.9	22.9	20.7	20.0
Uninsured	36.7	39.8	43.2	38.8	39.3	34.6	14.9	12.6	15.3	9.5	8.3	6.9
Near poor:
Insured	15.6	17.0	15.8	45.5	44.9	44.7	22.3	22.6	22.7	16.6	15.5	16.8
Uninsured	34.5	38.0	35.3	41.8	40.2	40.9	15.6	13.4	16.6	8.1	8.4	7.2
Nonpoor:
class="textStyle7">Insured	13.4	14.7	13.6	50.3	49.1	49.8	24.2	24.2	25.0	12.1	12.0	11.6
Uninsured	29.1	32.9	31.9	45.4	43.7	46.0	17.0	14.6	15.5	8.4	8.8	6.6
Geographic region3
Northeast	13.2	12.8	11.8	45.9	46.4	47.2	26.0	25.6	26.6	14.9	15.2	14.3
Midwest	15.9	16.2	14.9	47.7	46.7	47.2	22.8	23.8	24.0	13.6	13.3	13.9
South	17.2	18.9	17.7	46.1	45.5	45.2	23.3	22.5	24.4	13.5	13.2	12.8
West	19.1	20.9	20.5	44.8	44.8	44.1	22.8	21.9	22.8	13.3	12.4	12.7
Location of residence3
Within MSA8	16.2	17.4	16.4	46.4	45.9	45.7	23.7	23.4	24.6	13.7	13.2	13.2
Outside MSA8	17.3	17.7	16.7	45.4	45.1	46.1	23.3	22.9	23.6	13.9	14.4	13.6
* Estimates are considered unreliable. Data not shown have a relative standard error (RSE) of greater than 30 percent. Data preceded by an asterisk have a RSE of 20–30 percent.
- - - Data not available.
1This table presents a summary measure of ambulatory and home health care visits during a 12-month period.
2Includes all other races not shown separately, unknown poverty status, and unknown health insurance status.
3Estimates are age adjusted to the year 2000 standard population using six age groups: Under 18 years, 18–44 years, 45–54 years, 55–64 years, 65–74 years, and 75 years and over.
4The race groups, white, black, American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN), Asian, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and 2 or more races, include persons of Hispanic and non-Hispanic origin. Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race. Starting with data year 1999 race-specific estimates are tabulated according to 1997 Standards for Federal data on Race and Ethnicity and are not strictly comparable with estimates for earlier years. The five single race categories plus multiple race categories shown in the table conform to 1997 Standards. The 1999 race-specific estimates are for persons who reported only one racial group; the category "2 or more races" includes persons who reported more than one racial group. Prior to data year 1999, data were tabulated according to 1977 Standards with four racial groups and the category "Asian only" included Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander. Estimates for single race categories prior to 1999 included persons who reported one race or, if they reported more than one race, identified one race as best representing their race. The effect of the 1997 Standard on the 1999 estimates can be seen by comparing 1999 data tabulated according to the two Standards: Age-adjusted estimates based on the 1977 Standard of the percent of persons with a specified number of health care contacts are: (no visits) identical for white and black persons; 0.1 percentage points higher for AI/AN persons; 0.4 percentage points lower for Asian and Pacific Islander persons; (1–3 visits) identical for white persons; 0.1 percentage points lower for black persons; 1.3 percentage points higher for AI/AN persons; 0.1 percentage points lower for Asian and Pacific Islander persons; (4–9 visits) identical for white persons; 0.2 percentage points higher for black persons; 2.2 percentage points lower for AI/AN persons; 0.4 percentage points higher for Asian and Pacific Islander persons; (10 or more visits) identical for white and black persons; 0.9 percentage points higher for AI/AN persons; and 0.1 percentage points higher for Asian and Pacific Islander persons than estimates based on the 1997 Standards.
5Poor persons are defined as below the poverty threshold. Near poor persons have incomes of 100 percent to less than 200 percent of poverty threshold. Nonpoor persons have incomes of 200 percent or greater than the poverty threshold. Poverty status was unknown for 20 percent of persons in the sample in 1997, 25 percent in 1998, 28 percent in 1999, 27 percent in 2000, and 28 percent in 2001.
6Estimates for persons under 65 years of age are age adjusted to the year 2000 standard using four age groups: Under 18 years, 18–44 years, 45–54 years, and 55–64 years of age. Estimates for persons 65 years of age and over are age adjusted to the year 2000 standard using two age groups: 65–74 years and 75 years and over.
7Health insurance categories are mutually exclusive. Persons who reported both Medicaid and private coverage are classified as having private coverage. Persons 65 years of age and over who reported Medicare HMO (health maintenance organization) and some other type of health insurance coverage are classified as having Medicare HMO. Starting in 1997 Medicaid includes state-sponsored health plans and State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The category "insured" also includes military, other state, and Medicare coverage.
8MSA is metropolitan statistical area.
SOURCE: "Table 70. Health Care Visits to Doctor's Offices, Emergency Departments, and Home Visits within the Past 12 Months, According to Selected Characteristics: United States, Selected Years 1997–2001," in Health, United States, 2003, Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, Hyattsville, MD, 2003 [Online] http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus03.pdf [accessed March 11, 2004]

Puerto Ricans smoked cigarettes, by far the highest rate for a Hispanic subgroup. (See Table 6.9.)