High Health Status in Louisiana

Louisiana

Self-reported health status measures how individuals perceive their health. It is a subjective measure of health-related quality of life that is not limited to specific health conditions or outcomes, but also factors in social support, ability and ease of functioning and other socioeconomic, environmental and cultural components. The United States Department of Health and Human Services uses this measure to evaluate large-scale progress toward achieving Healthy People 2030 objectives.

Research shows that those with “poor” self-reported health status have a mortality risk double that of those with ”excellent” self-reported health status. The association between health status and mortality makes this measure a good predictor of future mortality rates.

According to America’s Health Rankings analysis, the prevalence of adults who report “very good” or “excellent“ health is higher among:

• Adults ages 18-44 compared with adults age 65 and older. The prevalence of high health status significantly decreases with age.
• White and Asian adults compared with Hispanic, American Indian/Alaska Native and Black adults. 
• College graduates compared with those who have less education. The prevalence of high health status significantly increases with educational attainment.
• Adults with annual household incomes of $150,000 or more compared with those who have lower incomes. The prevalence of high health status increases significantly with each increase in household income level.
• Adults living in metropolitan areas compared with those in nonmetropolitan areas.
• Adults without a disability compared with adults who have difficulty with self-care.
• Straight adults compared with lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer (LGBQ+) adults.
• Adults who have not served compared with adults who have served in the U.S. armed forces.

More years of schooling are associated with better self-reported health status. The connection between education and health is well documented — higher educational attainment is associated with higher earnings, increased health literacy and fewer chronic conditions. Access to economic resources and jobs with healthier working conditions and benefits is also associated with better health status.

The Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends implementing high-quality, center-based early childhood education programs in order to improve health. These programs promote health equity and narrow the educational achievement gap, especially for children in low-income or racial and ethnic minority communities. 

Chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease are leading causes of death in the U.S., affecting 3 in 4 American adults. Many chronic diseases can be prevented by eating well, staying physically active, avoiding tobacco use and excessive drinking, and getting regular health screenings. The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion has a webpage on strategies for healthy living that covers safety, nutrition, physical activity, mental health and sexual health.

Health status is an overall measure of health and well-being used by the Department of Health and Human Services to summarize and gauge progress toward achieving Healthy People 2030 objectives.

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Kaplan, Robert M., and Ron D. Hays. “Health-Related Quality of Life Measurement in Public Health.” Annual Review of Public Health 43, no. 1 (April 5, 2022): 355–73. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-052120-012811.

Kutner, Mark, Elizabeth Greenberg, Ying Jin, and Christine Paulsen. The Health Literacy of America’s Adults: Results From the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, September 2006. https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2006/2006483_1.pdf.

Ramon, Ismaila, Sajal K. Chattopadhyay, W. Steven Barnett, and Robert A. Hahn. “Early Childhood Education to Promote Health Equity: A Community Guide Economic Review.” Journal of Public Health Management and Practice 24, no. 1 (2018): e8–15. https://doi.org/10.1097/PHH.0000000000000557.

Zajacova, Anna, and Elizabeth M. Lawrence. “The Relationship Between Education and Health: Reducing Disparities Through a Contextual Approach.” Annual Review of Public Health 39 (April 1, 2018): 273–89. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031816-044628.