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Overall Health Status

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Overall health and well-being measures are used to assess the general health status of a population.

Why It's Important

Overall health status is a predictor of important health outcomes including mortality, morbidity, and functional status. It is considered a good global assessment of a person's well-being.1

1. Health Status. CDC. 8/5/24.

Who's at Risk

Data show that overall health status decreases with age. Persons at higher risk of poor overall health include men, Black and Hispanic persons, persons with less education, persons with a disability, persons below poverty level, and persons living in southwestern New Jersey

How To Reduce Risk

To maintain or increase overall health, live an active lifestyle; eat healthy foods; avoid tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs; get vaccinated against communicable diseases; wear seatbelts, helmets, and other safety equipment as needed; and visit health care providers routinely.

How It's Tracked

Summary measures of health status are statistics that use mortality and/or morbidity data to represent overall population health in a single number. Examples of summary measures include general health status from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), life expectancy, and years of potential life lost (YPLL).

Other Data Resources