Summary health statistics for the U.S. population: National Health Interview Survey, 1998.

OBJECTIVES: This report presents health statistics from the 1998 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) for the civilian, noninstitutionalized population of the United States, classified by age, sex, race and Hispanic origin, poverty status, family income, education, place of residence, region of residence, and, where appropriate, health insurance coverage. The topics covered are health status and limitations of activity, injuries and poisonings, health care access and utilization, and health insurance coverage. SOURCE OF DATA: The NHIS is a multistage probability sample survey conducted annually by interviewers of the U.S. Census Bureau for the National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and is representative of the civilian noninstitutionalized U.S. population. Data are collected during face-to-face interviews with adults present at the time of interview. Information about children and absent adults is obtained from an adult proxy respondent. HIGHLIGHTS: Nearly 40% of Americans reported having excellent health in 1998, while almost 9% reported having either fair or poor health. Fifteen percent of the U.S. population did not have any health insurance coverage in 1998. Nineteen percent of non-Hispanic black persons and 33% of Hispanics were uninsured in 1998, as opposed to 11% of non-Hispanic white persons. Further, 46% of poor Hispanics and 44% of near-poor Hispanics under age 65 years were uninsured; percents of uninsurance among poor and near poor non-Hispanic white and black persons under age 65 years were much lower. Lastly, 80% of non-Hispanic white persons under age 65 years had private health insurance coverage, as opposed to 55% of non-Hispanic black persons and 49% of Hispanics in this same age category.