Table 2. Prevalence of Heath Indicators Among Pennsylvania Head Start Staff Survey Participants (N = 2,122) in 2012 and a National Reference Population in 2011a .
| Health Indicator | Head Start Staff, % (95% CI) | National Reference, % (95% CI) | Difference, % (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical health | |||
| Severe headache or migraine | 32.2 (30.2–34.2) | 21.6 (20.4–22.8) | 10.6 (8.3–12.9) |
| Lower back pain | 36.9 (34.9–40.0) | 23.9 (22.6–25.1) | 13.0 (10.6–15.4) |
| Obesity | 37.1 (34.9–39.3) | 27.3 (26.0–28.6) | 9.8 (7.3–12.3) |
| Asthma | 18.7 (17.0–20.3) | 13.6 (12.5–14.7) | 5.0 (3.1–7.0) |
| High blood pressure | 22.3 (20.5–24.0) | 18.1 (17.0–19.2) | 4.1 (2.0–6.2) |
| Diabetes or prediabetes | 11.9 (10.5–13.3) | 7.8 (7.1–8.6) | 4.1 (2.5–5.6) |
| ≥3 Physical health conditions | 21.8 (20.0–23.6) | 12.6 (11.7–13.5) | 9.2 (7.3–11.2) |
| Mental health | |||
| Depression diagnosed by health professional | 23.5 (21.7–25.3) | 17.6 (17.1–18.0) | 5.9 (4.0–7.8) |
| Health-related quality of life | |||
| Fair or poor health status | 14.6 (13.1–16.1) | 5.1 (4.5–5.6) | 9.5 (7.9–11.1) |
| Frequent physically unhealthy days (≥14 d/mo) | 10.1 (8.8–11.4) | 5.9 (5.6–6.1) | 4.2 (2.9–5.5) |
| Frequent mentally unhealthy days (≥14 d/mo) | 18.0 (16.4–19.7) | 9.5 (9.2–9.8) | 8.5 (6.8–10.2) |
| Frequent physically or mentally unhealthy days (≥14 d/mo) | 28.3 (26.3–30.2) | 14.5 (14.1–14.9) | 13.7 (11.8–15.7) |
| Work absences due to illness (≥10 d/y) | 8.6 (7.4–9.8) | 7.4 (6.7–8.2) | 1.2 (−0.2 to 2.6) |
| Health care access | |||
| Has personal doctor | 96.5 (95.7–97.3) | 86.4 (86.0–86.8) | 10.1 (9.2–11.0) |
| Has health insurance | 96.4 (95.6–97.2) | 89.5 (88.8–90.3) | 6.9 (5.8–8.0) |
| Has visited dentist in last 12 months | 76.4 (74.6–78.3) | 76.2 (75.0–77.5) | 0.2 (−2.0 to 2.4) |
Abbreviation: CI, confidence interval.
All national estimates were obtained from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) 2011, except for the following: diagnosed depression; number of physically unhealthy days, mentally unhealthy days, and physically or mentally unhealthy days; and access to a personal doctor. Data on these latter items were obtained from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) 2011. Weighted percentages were from a restricted sample from either NHIS (n = 9,118) or BRFSS (n = 123,699). Both national samples were restricted to employed women aged 18 to 64 years whose highest education level was at least high school or a general education diploma; to match the Head Start sample, percentages were further adjusted for age, race/ethnicity, education level, and marital status.