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