The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released data this week that showed 22.4% of surveyed Utahns reported their overall general health as “excellent,” the 4th highest percentage out of all states and the District of Columbia.
The CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) tracks a range of health and wellness metrics.
BRFSS conducts more than 400,000 adult interviews per year by telephone to collect state data from US residents regarding their health-related risk behaviors, chronic health conditions, and use of preventive services.
BRFSS data for 2021 was presented through an interactive dashboard that shows responses to 20 health categories related to issues including immunization, obesity, and colorectal cancer screening.
Of those surveyed in Utah across race and ethnicity, 28.1% of Black, 25% of Asian, 24% of multiracial, 22.4% of white, and 21.5% of Hispanic Utahns reported their general health to be “excellent.” Data for other populations was not available.
Meanwhile, 30.9% reported having a body mass index over 30, which classifies as obese, and 8% reported having diabetes, placing Utah as the state with the third lowest percentage in the US.
The Biden administration uses the data to work with states on targeting and building health promotion activities for its population and recently announced it is working with the FDA on a standardized front-of-package labeling system to help consumers more readily understand nutrition information and make healthier choices.