Executive Summary
1997 Mississippi Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System

Note: only responses to questions on general health, health risk behaviors for chronic disease (including health care access), and screening behaviors are given here

Health status

• 21.9% report that general health is fair or poor
• 11.2% report that physical health was not good for more than 7 days during the past 30 days
• 9.1% report that mental health was not good for more than 7 days during the past 30 days
• 13.0% report that poor physical/mental health prevented usual activities for more than 7 days during the past 30 days

Cigarette smoking

• 23.1% report that they are current cigarette smokers (have ever smoked 100 cigarettes and now smoke every day or some days)
• 21.3% report that they are former cigarette smokers (have ever smoked 100 cigarettes but do not smoke now)
• 51.1% of current daily smokers report that they have quit smoking for 1 day or longer during the past 12 months

Body weight and weight control

• 34.1% of respondents are overweight (BMI >= 27.7 for men, 27.3 for women)
• 20.9% of respondents are obesity (BMI >= 30)

Diabetes

• Prevalence of self-reported diabetes (told by a doctor): 6.1%
• 67.6% of persons with self-reported diabetes have had two or more visits to a health care provider for their diabetes in the past year
• 51.1% of persons with self-reported diabetes have had at least four visits to a health care provider for their diabetes in the past year
• 25.7% of persons with self-reported diabetes have heard of HgbA1c
• 44.4% of persons with self-reported diabetes and who have heard of HgbA1c have had two or more HgbA1c checks by a health care provider in the past year
• 24.4% of persons with self-reported diabetes and who have heard of HgbA1c have had at least four HgbA1c checks by a health care provider in the past year
• 49.5% of persons with self-reported diabetes have had two or more foot exams by a health care provider in the past year
• 34.0% of persons with self-reported diabetes have had at least four foot exams by a health care provider in the past year
• 52.8% of persons with self-reported diabetes have had a dilated eye exam within the past year
• 71.0% of persons with self-reported diabetes have had a dilated eye exam within the past two years

Hypertension awareness

• 34.3% of respondents report that they have been told by a health professional that they have high blood pressure
• 88.9% have had their blood pressure taken by a health professional within the past year
• 94.2% have had their blood pressure taken by a health professional within the past 2 years
• 96.5% have had their blood pressure taken by a health professional within the past 5 years

Cholesterol awareness

• 64.6% of respondents have ever had a blood cholesterol check
• 68.5% have had their blood cholesterol checked within the past year
• 81.9% have had their blood cholesterol checked within the past 2 years
• 92.9% have had their blood cholesterol checked within the past 5 years
• 28.6% of those tested report that they have been told by a health professional that they have high blood cholesterol

Mammography screening

• 64.9% of women 50-59 years of age have had a screening mammogram within the past year
• 84.3% of women 50-59 years of age have had a screening mammogram within the past two years
• 1.5% of women 60-69 years of age have had a screening mammogram within the past year
• 89.6% of women 60-69 years of age have had a screening mammogram within the past two years

Pap smear screening

• 90.1% of women 18-65 years of age have had Pap smear screening within the past three years

Colorectal cancer screening

• 19.1% of respondents have ever had blood stool test using a home kit
• 37.9% have had a blood stool test using a home kit within the past year
• 55.7% have had a blood stool test using a home kit within the past 2 years
• 74.9% have had a blood stool test using a home kit within the past 5 years
• 29.0% of respondents have ever had a sigmoidoscopy/proctoscopic exam
• 28.2% have had a sigmoidoscopy/proctoscopic exam within the past year
• 48.9% have had a sigmoidoscopy/proctoscopic exam within the past 2 years
• 71.3% have had a sigmoidoscopy/proctoscopic exam within the past 5 years

Immunization

• 28.3% of respondents have had a flu shot within the past 12 months
• 17.4% of respondents have ever had a pneumonia vaccination

Health care access

• 15.1% report that they have no kind of health care coverage
• 15.2% report that there was a time during the past 12 months that they needed to see a doctor but could not because of the cost