Estimates are considered unreliable. Data not shown have a relative standard error greater than 30%.

Data not available.

Questions concerning use of mammography differed slightly on the National Health Interview Survey across survey years. See Appendix II, Mammography. Data prior to 1997 are not strictly comparable with data for later years due to the 1997 questionnaire redesign. See Appendix I, National Health Interview Survey (NHIS).

Includes all other races not shown separately, unknown poverty level in 1987, unknown health insurance status, unknown education level, and unknown disability status.

Estimates for women aged 40 and over are age-adjusted to the year 2000 standard population using four age groups: 40–49 years, 50–64 years, 65–74 years, and 75 years and over. Estimates for women aged 50 years and over are age-adjusted using three age groups. See Appendix II, Age adjustment.

The race groups white, black, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and 2 or more races include persons of Hispanic and non-Hispanic origin. Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race. Starting with 1999 data, race-specific estimates are tabulated according to the 1997 Revisions to the Standards for the Classification of Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity and are not strictly comparable with estimates for earlier years. The five single-race categories and multiple-race categories shown in the table conform to the 1997 Standards. Starting with 1999 data, race-specific estimates are for persons who reported only one racial group; the category 2 or more races includes persons who reported more than one racial group. Prior to 1999, data were tabulated according to the 1977 Standards with four racial groups, and the Asian only category included Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. Estimates for single-race categories prior to 1999 included persons who reported one race, or if they reported more than one race, identified one race as best representing their race. Starting with 2003 data, race responses of other race and unspecified multiple race were treated as missing, and then race was imputed if these were the only race responses. Almost all persons with a race response of other race were of Hispanic origin. See Appendix II, Hispanic origin; Race.

Percent of poverty level is based on family income and family size and composition using U.S. Census Bureau poverty thresholds. Poverty level was unknown for 11% of women aged 40 and over in 1987. Missing family income data were imputed for 1997 and beyond. See Appendix II, Family income; Poverty; Table VII.

Health insurance categories are mutually exclusive. Persons who reported both Medicaid and private coverage are classified as having private coverage. Starting with 1997 data, state-sponsored health plan coverage is included as Medicaid coverage. Starting with 1999 data, coverage by the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is included with Medicaid coverage. In addition to private and Medicaid, the insured category also includes military plans, other government-sponsored health plans, and Medicare, not shown separately. Persons not covered by private insurance, Medicaid, CHIP, public assistance (through 1996), state-sponsored or other government-sponsored health plans (starting in 1997), Medicare, or military plans are considered to have no health insurance coverage. Persons with only Indian Health Service coverage are considered to have no health insurance coverage. See Appendix II, Health insurance coverage.

Education categories shown are for 1998 and subsequent years. GED is General Educational Development high school equivalency diploma. In years prior to 1998, the following categories based on number of years of school completed were used: less than 12 years, 12 years, and 13 years or more. See Appendix II, Education.

Functional limitation is defined by the reported level of difficulty in six functioning domains: seeing (even if wearing glasses), hearing (even if wearing hearing aids), mobility (walking or climbing stairs), communication (understanding or being understood by others), cognition (remembering or concentrating), and self-care (such as washing all over or dressing). Respondents with answers to one or more of the six questions were included in one of three mutually exclusive categories. Those responding “A lot of difficulty” or “Cannot do at all/unable to do” to at least one question were classified in the “A lot of difficulty/cannot do” category. Of the remaining, those responding “Some difficulty” to at least one question were classified in the “Some difficulty” category, and those responding “No difficulty” to at least one question were classified in the “No difficulty” category. Those responding “Don’t know” or “Refused” to all six questions were excluded. During 2010–2016, 1%–8% of respondents were missing data and excluded. See Appendix II, Functional limitation. Different questions about vision and hearing limitations were used in separate tables on trends in vision limitations (Table 43) and hearing limitations (Table 44), respectively.

NOTES: See Appendix II, Mammography, for a discussion of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations for mammography screening. Data starting in 1997 are not strictly comparable with data for earlier years due to the 1997 questionnaire redesign. See Appendix I, National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Standard errors are available in the spreadsheet version of this table. Data for additional years are available. See the Excel spreadsheet on the Health, United States website at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/hus.htm.

SOURCE: NCHS, National Health Interview Survey. Data are from the following supplements: cancer control (1987), health promotion and disease prevention (1990–1991), year 2000 objectives (1993–1994), and prevention (1998). Starting from 1999, data are from either the cancer control module or the cancer screening supplement of the sample adult questionnaire, in addition to the family core questionnaire. See Appendix I, National Health Interview Survey (NHIS).