This section highlights selected disparities in health status and risk behavior between adults with disabilities and the general population. Results in the Adults with Disabilities column represent the percent of respondents with disabilities* from this Special Disability survey. Results in the General Population column come from various sources (see footnotes) and represent the percent of all respondents, including those with disabilities.
Selected risk factors are sorted by disparity, listing the conditions with the greatest percent difference first. (For example, respondents with disabilities were four times more likely than the general population [16% versus 4%] to be sad, blue, or depressed 14 or more of the past 30 days.) Notice that the highest disparities between Adults with Disabilities and the General Population relate to activity limitations and mental health/quality of life. The disabled population was at a higher risk than the general population for all selected risk factors listed below except the following: failed to always use safety belt, binge drinking, and chronic drinking.
| Adults with Disabilities | General Population | |
| Routine Care Limitation | 33% | 4%1 |
| Any Activity Limitation | 90% | 12%2 |
| Sad, Blue, Depressed | 16% | 4%1 |
| Fair or Poor General Health | 40% | 11%2 |
| Personal Care Limitation | 7% | 2%1 |
| Worried, Tense, Anxious | 27% | 9%1 |
| Dissatisfied with Life | 11% | 5%2 |
| Not Very Healthy and Full of Energy | 60% | 36%1 |
| Not Enough Rest or Sleep | 31% | 19%1 |
| Lacked Recent Pap Smear Test | 29% | 18%1 |
| Lacked Recent Dental Visit | 29% | 20%4 |
| Obese (BMI >= 30) | 25% | 19%4 |
| Lacked Recent Mammogram | 37% | 31%1 |
| Lacked Health Care Coverage | 11% | 9%1 |
| Lacked Tetanus Immunization | 31% | 27%1 |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 76% | 67%3 |
| Overweight or Obese (BMI >= 25) | 63% | 56%4 |
| Current Cigarette Use | 25% | 23%1 |
| No Regular Physical Activity | 89% | 86%3 |
| Chronic Drinking | 2% | 2%1 |
| Binge Drinking | 11% | 13%1 |
| Failed to Always Use Safety Belt | 38% | 46%1 |
1 1997 Statewide BRFSS Survey 2 1997 BRFSS Special Survey on Disability 3 1998 Statewide BRFSS Survey 4 1999 Statewide BRFSS Survey | ||