Statewide Highlights 2002

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)

Health Care Access:

An estimated one million North Carolina adults under age 65 (one in five adults) had no health insurance coverage; 150,000 adults lost health insurance coverage within the last year.
More than 8 percent or 500,000 North Carolina adults reported that there was a time in the past 12 months when they needed medical care, but could not get it. The primary reason for not being able to get care was cost (69%).
Seventy-four percent of all adults received a routine medical checkup in the past year; the rate was significantly higher among African Americans (82.2%) than whites (73.7%). By region, Eastern North Carolina had the highest rate of routine medical care.

Health Risks:

The adult smoking rate increased from 25.7 percent in 2001 to 26.2 percent in 2002. Smoking prevalence was highest among English-speaking Hispanics (32.6%) and whites (27.7%).
By geographical strata (10 counties, 3 regions), current smoking rates were the lowest in Orange County (12.8%) and the highest in Western North Carolina (30.3%). More people in rural areas reported smoking compared to those in urban areas.
One in four North Carolina adults were obese and more than half were overweight. Obesity prevalence was much higher among Native Americans and African Americans than whites.
About 11 percent of adults reported binge-drinking (5 or more drinks on at least one occasion) in the past month. Spanish-speaking Hispanics had the highest rate of binge-drinking (18.5%).
Overall, 29.5 percent of North Carolinians reported no leisure time activity, an increase from 25.4% in 2001. The rate was highest among Hispanics (52.9%), particularly among those who spoke only Spanish (62.3%).
About 24 percent of adults reported eating 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day, within a percentage point of the 2001 rate.
About two in ten North Carolina adults reported ever being physically assaulted by someone they knew or by a stranger. The rate of physical assault was slightly higher for whites than African Americans, and highest for Native Americans (25.1%).
One in ten adult females in North Carolina reported that they have ever been forced by someone to have sex.

Chronic Conditions:

About 22 percent of North Carolinians reported some kind of disability; about one-third of those with a disability reported that they need the help of others for handling routine needs, such as household chores.
About 29 percent of adults reported that they have doctor-diagnosed arthritis. Among working-age adults with arthritis or chronic joint pain, 25.7 percent reported that their arthritis impairment affects whether they work, the type of work they do, or the amount of work they do.
The prevalence of diabetes is now more than 7 percent and has been increasing. Diabetes prevalence was twice as high among Native Americans and African Americans, compared to whites.
About 10 percent of adults reported having physician-diagnosed asthma. One in five adults reported that they had at least one child with asthma in their household.
More than one in ten adults reported that a doctor, nurse, or other health professional had ever told them that they had cancer. The cancer rate for whites was higher than any other race or ethnic group.

Quality of Life:

In 2002, 21 percent of North Carolinians rated their overall health as fair or poor, up from 16.3 percent as reported in 2001.
About 13 percent of North Carolinians reported that their physical health was not good for at least 8 days in the past 30 days.
About 10 percent of North Carolinians reported that their mental health was not good for at least 8 days in the past 30 days.
Compared to whites, a much higher percentage of minorities reported being treated worse than other races. Whites were more likely to report being treated better than other races because of their race.

Preventive Health Behaviors:

Approximately 80 percent of North Carolina women age 40 and older had a mammogram within the past two years and 87 percent had a Pap smear within the past 3 years.
About one-third of all North Carolinians had a flu shot in 2002; about two-thirds of adults age 65 and older had a flu shot.
About 38 percent of males age 40 and older reported never having the prostate cancer screening test called PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen).
More than one-half of adults age 50 and older (52%) never had the colorectal cancer screening tests called sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy.
Nearly one-third of adults did not visit a dentist or dental clinic in the past year. Moreover, 60 percent of Native Americans and 65 percent of Spanish-speaking Hispanics did not have a dental visit in the past year.

Updated: May 8, 2017