Executive Summary
1995 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
- 21.4% report that general health is fair or poor
- 11.0% report that physical health was not good for more than 7 days during the past 30
days
- 9.3% report that mental health was not good for more than 7 days during the past 30 days
- 18.8% report that poor physical/mental health prevented usual activities for more than 7
days during the past 30 days
Quality of life
Cigarette smoking
- 24.0% report that they are current cigarette smokers (have ever smoked 100 cigarettes
and now smoke every day or some days)
- 20.5% report that they are former cigarette smokers (have ever smoked 100 cigarettes but
do not smoke now)
- 48.5% 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
- 31.6% of respondents are overweight (BMI >= 27.7 for men, 27.3 for women)
- 18.1% of respondents are obese (BMI >= 30)
Diabetes
- Prevalence of self-reported diabetes (told by a doctor): 6.4%
Hypertension awareness
- 29.9% of respondents report that they have been told by a health professional that they
have high blood pressure
- 86.4% have had their blood pressure taken by a health professional within the past year
- 91.8% have had their blood pressure taken by a health professional within the past 2
years
- 95.7% have had their blood pressure taken by a health professional within the past 5
years
Cholesterol awareness
- 59.8% of respondents have ever had a blood cholesterol check
- 68.9% have had their blood cholesterol checked within the past year
- 84.6% have had their blood cholesterol checked within the past 2 years
- 92.1% have had their blood cholesterol checked within the past 5 years
- 25.4% of those tested report that they have been told by a health professional that they
have high blood cholesterol
Mammography screening
- 63.1% of women 50-59 years of age have had a screening mammogram within the past year
- 78.2% of women 50-59 years of age have had a screening mammogram within the past two
years
- 62.2% of women 60-69 years of age have had a screening mammogram within the past year
- 78.2% of women 60-69 years of age have had a screening mammogram within the past two
years
Pap smear screening
- 88.5% of women 18-65 years of age have had Pap smear screening within the past three
years
Colorectal cancer screening
- 28.7% of respondents have ever had a proctoscopic exam
- 33.7% have had a sigmoidoscopy/proctoscopic exam within the past year
- 56.5% have had a sigmoidoscopy/proctoscopic exam within the past 2 years
- 74.9% have had a sigmoidoscopy/proctoscopic exam within the past 5 years
Immunization
- 26.0% of respondents have had a flu shot within the past 12 months
- 14.5% of respondents have ever had a pneumonia vaccination
Health care access
- 13.9% report that they have no kind of health care coverage
- 14.7% 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