What are Health Behaviors of Sedgwick County Residents on Selected Indicators?
Because personal health behaviors play a major role in premature morbidity and mortality, we analyzed state-based behavioral risk factor information collected by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). Consequently, Sedgwick County data for 1998 and 1999 from the Kansas Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) were combined to provide sufficient sample size for analysis. The standard core questionnaire, which is collected annually, contains health behavior questions relating to obesity, diabetes, tobacco use, and womens prevention service use as well as health insurance coverage and health status. These questions were analyzed as a portion of the 2001 CHAP. Cigarette Smoking According to 1999 BRFSS data, just over 21.0% of Kansans smoked tobacco, comparable to the US rate of 22.9%. (Sedgwick County data was not available for this question). Of those who do smoke on a daily basis in Sedgwick County, Kansas, and the US, the majority (76.3%, 79.8, and 81.2%, resp
