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Figure 9.
Estimates of PopulationMorbiditywith 95%Confidence Intervals, ArizonaMales and
FemalesAge 65 andOlder, BRFSS 2012
Notes: * indicates statistically significant difference at
p
< .05 level.
3.4Conclusion
Analysis of theBRFSS surveyprovided information that will aid in the development of health
policies driving community interventions to producemore favorable health outcomes for
Arizona?s agingpopulation. Regardinghealth behaviors, Arizona?s older adultswere comparable
to similarly aged adults nationally, excluding routine health checkups formales and receiving flu
shots for bothmales and females. These preventative health services play an important role in
healthmaintenance, and increasingolderArizonan?s access and use of these services should be a
priorityofArizona?s health community.While a significantlyhigher percentage of older
Arizonanmaleswere either overweight or obese thanwereArizona?s older females, the
difference heremaybe based on inconsistencies across genders in the validityof BMI.
Compared to national estimates for older adults, Arizona?s agingpopulation has both strengths
and limitations in terms ofmorbidities and chronic diseases. For example, Arizona?s population
of oldermales had a significantly lower prevalence of diabetes in 2012 than the national average,
although our resident oldermales had a significantlygreater prevalence of skin cancer than older
males nationally. Arizona?s resident females had a significantly lower occurrence ofmental
health problems, physical health problems, and diagnosis of diabetes than older females
nationally, and had similar outcomes on the remaininghealth indicators.When comparing
Arizona?s residentmales toArizona?s resident females, Arizona?s oldermales had a significantly
higher percentage of heart attack and skin cancer diagnoses than resident females, but a greater
percent ofArizona?s females reported having asthma. These differences suggest that Arizona?s
oldermale populationmaybenefit from targeted interventions regardingheart and skin health,
andArizona?s female populationmaybenefit from attention to pulmonaryhealth and asthma.
