Please tell us a little more about you
We appreciate you taking the time to help America’s Health Rankings better understand our audiences. Your feedback will allow us to optimize our website and provide you with additional resources in the future. Thank you.
Please select one option which best describes your profession or field of expertise
Frequent Physical Distress in United States
United States
Explore national- and state-level data for hundreds of health, environmental and socioeconomic measures, including background information about each measure. Use features on this page to find measures; view subpopulations, trends and rankings; and download and share content.
United States Value:
12.6%
Percentage of adults who reported their physical health was not good 14 or more days in the past 30 days
Frequent Physical Distress by State: Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
Percentage of non-Hispanic Hawaiian/Pacific Islander adults who reported their physical health was not good 14 or more days in the past 30 days
Frequent Physical Distress in
Data from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2023
<= 13.5%
13.6% -
NaN -
NaN -
>=
No Data
Frequent Physical Distress: Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2023
About Frequent Physical Distress
US Value: 12.6%
Top State(s): South Dakota: 10.2%
Bottom State(s): West Virginia: 18.4%
Definition: Percentage of adults who reported their physical health was not good 14 or more days in the past 30 days
Data Source and Years(s): U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2023
Suggested Citation: America's Health Rankings analysis of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, accessed 2025.
Frequent physical distress aims to capture the population experiencing persistent and likely severe physical health problems, which can significantly impact health-related quality of life and overall wellness. It is measured by asking survey respondents how many days they experienced poor physical health in the past month and quantifying those who report 14 or more physically unhealthy days. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention validated the cutoff point of 14 days as constituting a substantial level of physical impairment.
Frequent physical distress is associated with behavioral and metabolic factors such as smoking, physical inactivity and obesity; limited health care access and lower use of preventive care services; and chronic health conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. There is also a strong relationship between physical and mental distress. Low physical activity, chronic illness and physical disability are all correlated with higher rates of psychological distress.
According to America’s Health Rankings analysis, populations with a higher prevalence of frequent physical distress include:
- Women compared with men.
- Adults age 65 and older compared with those ages 18-44.
- American Indian/Alaska Native and multiracial adults compared with Asian adults. All racial/ethnic groups had a higher prevalence than Asian adults.
- Adults with less than a high school education than those with higher educational attainment. The prevalence of frequent physical distress significantly decreases with educational attainment.
- Adults with an annual household income less than $25,000 compared with those with higher incomes. The prevalence of frequent physical distress decreases with each increase in household income level.
- Adults who live in nonmetropolitan areas compared with those who live in metropolitan areas.
- Adults who have difficulty with self-care compared with adults without a disability.
- Lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer (LGBQ+) adults compared with straight adults.
- Adults who have served in the U.S. armed forces compared with adults who have not served.
Strategies to reduce the prevalence of frequent physical distress include preventing or managing chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity and arthritis. Evidence-based interventions that help reduce chronic conditions include curbing smoking, increasing physical activity and promoting healthy eating.
Healthy People 2030 has an objective to reduce the proportion of adults with chronic pain that frequently limits life or work activities.
Boyer, William R., Natalie A. Indelicato, Michael R. Richardson, James R. Churilla, and Tammie M. Johnson. “Associations between Mental Distress and Physical Activity in US Adults: A Dose–Response Analysis BRFSS 2011.” Journal of Public Health 40, no. 2 (June 1, 2018): 289–94. https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdx080.
Byles, Julie E., Ian Robinson, Emily Banks, Richard Gibson, Lucy Leigh, Bryan Rodgers, Cassie Curryer, and Louisa Jorm. “Psychological Distress and Comorbid Physical Conditions: Disease or Disability?” Depression and Anxiety 31, no. 6 (June 2014): 524–32. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.22162.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Strategies to Prevent Obesity and Other Chronic Diseases: The CDC Guide to Strategies to Increase the Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables.” Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2011. https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/21639.
Dwyer-Lindgren, Laura, Johan P. Mackenbach, Frank J. van Lenthe, and Ali H. Mokdad. “Self-Reported General Health, Physical Distress, Mental Distress, and Activity Limitation by US County, 1995-2012.” Population Health Metrics 15, no. 1 (April 26, 2017): 16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12963-017-0133-5.
Gamble, Sonya, Tebitha Mawokomatanda, Fang Xu, Pranesh P. Chowdhury, Carol Pierannunzi, David Flegel, William Garvin, and Machell Town. “Surveillance for Certain Health Behaviors and Conditions Among States and Selected Local Areas — Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, United States, 2013 and 2014.” MMWR. Surveillance Summaries 66, no. 16 (September 15, 2017): 1–144. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.ss6616a1.
Stellefson, Michael, Samantha R. Paige, Adam E. Barry, Min Qi Wang, and Avery Apperson. “Risk Factors Associated with Physical and Mental Distress in People Who Report a COPD Diagnosis: Latent Class Analysis of 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Data.” International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 14 (April 2019): 809–22. https://doi.org/10.2147/COPD.S194018.
Current Reports
America’s Health Rankings builds on the work of the United Health Foundation to draw attention to public health and better understand the health of various populations. Our platform provides relevant information that policymakers, public health officials, advocates and leaders can use to effect change in their communities.
We have developed detailed analyses on the health of key populations in the country, including women and children, seniors and those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, in addition to a deep dive into health disparities across the country.
