State and metropolitan-area estimates of disability in the United States, 2001.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to provide estimates of disability prevalence for states and metropolitan areas in the United States.


METHODS
We analyzed Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data from 2001 for all 50 states and the District of Columbia and 103 metropolitan areas. We performed stratified analyses by demographics for 20 metropolitan areas with the highest prevalence of disability.


RESULTS
State disability estimates ranged from 10.5% in Hawaii to 25.9% in Arizona. Metropolitan disability estimates ranged from 10.2% in Honolulu, Hawaii to 27.1% in Tucson, Ariz. Regional metropolitan medians for disability (range, 17.0-19.7%) were similar across the Northeast, Midwest, and South and were highest in the West. In the 20 metropolitan areas with the highest disability estimates, the prevalence of disability generally increased with age and was higher for women and those with a high-school education or less.


CONCLUSIONS
State and metropolitan-area estimates may be used to guide state and local efforts to prevent, delay, or reduce disability and secondary conditions in persons with disabilities.
Okoro
Catherine A
CA
Division of Adult and Community Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341-3717, USA. cokoro@cdc.gov
Balluz
Lina S
LS
Campbell
Vincent A
VA
Holt
James B
JB
Mokdad
Ali H
AH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D015995:Prevalence; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology