Quality of life as a new public health measure--Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 1993

Abstract

A fundamental goal of the year 2000 national health objectives is to increase the span of healthy life for all persons in the United States. Public health programs, improved social conditions, and private medical care have contributed to the prolongation of life expectancy of U.S. residents at birth from 47 years in 1900 to 75 years in 1989. However, for some persons, increased life expectancy includes periods of diminished health and function (i.e., lowered health-related quality of life [HR-QOL]). Because population-based surveillance of good health has been limited, questions to assess HR-QOL were added to the 1993 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). This report summarizes the preliminary findings about HR-QOL from the 1993 BRFSS and describes an index used to identify population subgroups with high and low HR-QOL.