The report examined five “unhealthy behaviors” – smoking, excessive drinking, insufficient sleep, physical inactivity, obesity – and found that more than 25 million American adults report having multiple unhealthy behaviors (three or more) and, as a result, face more than 6 times greater risk of fair or poor health status than those reporting zero unhealthy behaviors. It also found that:
- Adults with one unhealthy behavior are twice as likely to report fair or poor health status as those with zero unhealthy behaviors.
- The odds of reporting fair or poor health status increase to slightly more than 3.5 times for two unhealthy behaviors, and all the way up to more than 8.5 times for those reporting all five unhealthy behaviors when compared to adults with zero unhealthy behaviors.
The goal of the partnership is to tell the story of how a strong primary care system can improve health behaviors and increase access to prevention. It is also intended to demonstrate the role of primary care in addressing and minimizing health disparities across the country.
May is Mental Health Month. Health is Primary will release patient resources focused on managing depression, anxiety and other mental health challenges. For access to those resources, click here: http://www.healthisprimary.org/