Health Conditions
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Fifteen percent of the decedents were reported to suffer from some type of memory impairment, and 13 percent reported other mental, nervous, or emotional problems. Almost one-third (32 percent) of the decedents were reported to suffer from some form of arthritis
Number and percent of decedents reported to have had selected health conditions during their lifetime: United States, 1993
| Health condition | Number | Percent1 | Standard error of percent | 95 percent confidence interval (+/- percent) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hypertension | 949,000 | 42.8 | 0.9862 | 1.9 |
| Heart attack | 593,000 | 26.8 | 0.8647 | 1.7 |
| Angina pectoris | 559,000 | 25.2 | 0.8816 | 1.7 |
| Stroke | 444,000 | 20.0 | 0.8111 | 1.6 |
| Alzheimer's disease | 117,000 | 5.3 | 0.4756 | 0.9 |
| Other memory impairment | 219,000 | 9.9 | 0.6142 | 1.2 |
| Other mental, nervous, or emotional problems | 287,000 | 13.0 | 0.6700 | 1.3 |
| Diabetes | 411,000 | 18.6 | 0.8009 | 1.6 |
| Cancer, except skin | 712,000 | 32.1 | 0.6594 | 1.3 |
| Asthma | 139,000 | 6.3 | 0.4481 | 0.9 |
| Other lung condition | 369,000 | 16.7 | 0.7134 | 1.4 |
| Cirrhosis of the liver | 86,000 | 3.9 | 0.3545 | 0.7 |
| Arthritis | 719,000 | 32.4 | 0.9338 | 1.8 |
1 Percents based on 2,215,000 decedents.
NOTES: Excludes deaths to persons under 15 years of age and those deaths occurring in South Dakota.
Standard errors are estimated using the statistical software package SUDAAN.
SOURCE: NCHS, National Mortality Followback Survey -- provisional data, 1993.
About one-half of the decedents were reported to have had a functional limitation due to physical or mental conditions during their last year of life. Responses ranged from a high of 59 percent for walking a quarter of a mile, to a low of 24 percent for using the telephone.
Number and percent of decedents reported to have had select functional limitations in the last year of life as a result of physical or mental conditions: United States, 1993
| Functional limitation | Number | Percent1 | Standard error of percent | 95 percent confidence interval (+/- percent) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lifting/carrying 10 lbs. | 1,213,000 | 54.7 | 0.9784 | 1.9 |
| Climbing a flight of stairs w/o rest | 1,243,000 | 56.1 | 0.9750 | 1.9 |
| Walking a quarter of a mile | 1,310,000 | 59.1 | 0.9568 | 1.9 |
| Heavy housework | 1,109,000 | 50.0 | 0.9763 | 1.9 |
| Shopping for personal items | 1,021,000 | 46.1 | 0.9785 | 1.9 |
| Going outside the home alone | 1,116,000 | 50.4 | 0.9819 | 1.9 |
| Light housework | 920,000 | 41.5 | 0.9735 | 1.9 |
| Preparing meals | 822,000 | 37.1 | 0.9451 | 1.9 |
| Managing money | 711,000 | 32.1 | 0.9329 | 1.8 |
| Using the telephone | 525,000 | 23.7 | 0.8646 | 1.7 |
| Getting around inside the home | 857,000 | 38.7 | 0.9727 | 1.9 |
| Walking | 1,202,000 | 54.3 | 0.9727 | 1.9 |
| Getting in and out of bed or chairs | 1,041,000 | 47.0 | 0.9775 | 1.9 |
| Eating | 753,000 | 34.0 | 0.9253 | 1.8 |
| Using the toilet | 963,000 | 43.5 | 0.9747 | 1.9 |
| Bathing or showering | 1,148,000 | 51.8 | 0.9682 | 1.9 |
| Dressing | 1,005,000 | 45.4 | 0.9801 | 1.9 |
1 Percents based on 2,215,000 decedents.
NOTES: Excludes deaths to persons under 15 years of age and those deaths occurring in South Dakota.
Standard errors are estimated using the statistical software package SUDAAN.
SOURCE: NCHS, National Mortality Followback Survey -- provisional data, 1993.
Fifty-eight percent of the decedents with reported functional limitations received help at home from their spouse. Daughters and visiting nurses provided home help for 46 and 31 percent of the decedents, respectively.
Number and percent of decedents with reported functional limitations who received help at home by who provided assistance: United States, 1993
| Assistance provider | Number | Percent1 | Standard error of percent | 95 percent confidence interval (+/- percent) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spouse | 494,000 | 57.3 | 1.5543 | 3.0 |
| Mother | 42,000 | 4.9 | 0.5393 | 1.1 |
| Father | 11,000 | 1.3 | 0.2333 | 0.5 |
| Son | 194,000 | 22.5 | 1.3642 | 2.7 |
| Daughter | 401,000 | 46.5 | 1.6080 | 3.2 |
| Other relative | 239,000 | 27.7 | 1.4308 | 2.8 |
| Neighbor or friend | 118,000 | 13.7 | 1.1082 | 2.2 |
| Home hospice care | 148,000 | 17.2 | 1.1596 | 2.3 |
| Visiting nurse | 263,000 | 30.6 | 1.5063 | 3.0 |
| Visiting homemaker | 81,000 | 9.4 | 0.9728 | 1.9 |
| Personal care aide | 114,000 | 13.2 | 1.1147 | 2.2 |
| Other person | 75,000 | 8.7 | 0.9182 | 1.8 |
1 Percents based on 861,000 decedents with functional limitations who received home help.
NOTES: Excludes deaths to persons under 15 years of age and those deaths occurring in South Dakota.
Standard errors are estimated using the statistical software package SUDAAN.
SOURCE: NCHS, National Mortality Followback Survey -- provisional data, 1993.
Almost 60 percent of the decedents were reported to have spent at least one-half a day in bed due to illness or injury. Illness or injury kept 9 percent of the decedents in bed at least one-half of each day during their last year of life.
Number and percent distribution of decedents by time illness or injury kept decedent in bed for more than half a day during the last year of life: United States, 1993
| Number of times illness kept in bed | Number | Percent | Standard error of percent | 95 percent confidence interval (+/- percent) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 2,215,000 | 100.0 | 0.0000 | 0.0 |
| None | 803,000 | 36.2 | 0.9345 | 1.8 |
| 1 to 6 days | 246,000 | 11.1 | 0.6383 | 1.3 |
| 7 to 13 days | 112,000 | 5.0 | 0.4474 | 0.9 |
| 14 days to under 1 month | 185,000 | 8.3 | 0.5502 | 1.1 |
| 1 up to 3 months | 269,000 | 12.1 | 0.6449 | 1.3 |
| 3 up to 6 months | 148,000 | 6.7 | 0.5014 | 1.0 |
| 6 up to 9 months | 62,000 | 2.8 | 0.3232 | 0.6 |
| 9 up to 12 months | 68,000 | 3.1 | 0.3350 | 0.7 |
| Entire year | 202,000 | 9.1 | 0.5799 | 1.1 |
| Item nonresponse | 123,000 | 5.5 | 0.4366 | 0.9 |
NOTES: Excludes deaths to persons under 15 years of age and those deaths occurring in South Dakota.
Figures may not add to totals due to rounding. Standard errors are estimated using the statistical software package SUDAAN.
SOURCE: NCHS, National Mortality Followback Survey -- provisional data, 1993.
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- Page last updated: January 14, 2010
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