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Research ArticleOriginal Research

How Much Time Do Adults Spend on Health-related Self-care? Results from the American Time Use Survey

Daniel E. Jonas, Yoko Ibuka and Louise B. Russell
The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine July 2011, 24 (4) 380-390; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3122/jabfm.2011.04.100260
Daniel E. Jonas
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Yoko Ibuka
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Louise B. Russell
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    Figure 1.

    Screen shot of American Time Use Survey interview form.

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    Table 1.

    Examples of Personal Health-related Self-care (code 010301)

    Doing childbirth exercises
    Dressing a wound
    Taking vitamins
    Resting because of injury
    Giving oneself a shot
    Taking insulin
    Putting ice on injury
    Gargling for sore throat
    Resting because of illness
    Taking medicine
    Doing stress management exercises
    Meditating (not religious)
    Taking cough drops
    Bandaging ankle
    Giving oneself an injection
    Testing blood sugar level
    Applying ointment
    Changing oxygen
    Exercising or therapy for medical reasons
    • The above items exclude health-related self-care, not elsewhere classified, code 010399, because the only activity example is “feeling sick.”

      Source: American Time Use Survey Activity Lexicon: with activity examples–2003 (and the lexicons for 2004, 2005, and 2006). Washington, DC: Bureau of Labor Statistics. Available at: http://www.bls.gov/tus/lexicons.htm. Accessed 6 February 2009.

    • View popup
    Table 2.

    American Time Use Survey (ATUS) Sample 2003 to 2007 and Respondents Who Reported Health-related Self-care, 2003 to 2007 and 2006 to 2007, by Selected Characteristics

    CharacteristicATUS Sample, 2003 to 2007 (N = 64,310)Respondents Reporting Self-care*
    2003–2007 (n = 4,267)2006–2007 (n = 1,452)†
    Age (years)
        25–4428,168 (43.8)665 (15.6)209 (14.4)
        45–6423,683 (36.8)1,738 (40.7)578 (39.8)
        65–746,719 (10.4)873 (20.5)313 (21.6)
        ≥755,740 (8.9)991 (23.2)352 (24.2)
    Sex
        Female36,769 (57.2)2,863 (67.1)981 (67.6)
        Male27,541 (42.8)1,404 (32.9)471 (32.4)
    Race/ethnicity
        White/non-Hispanic46,676 (72.6)2,995 (70.2)983 (67.7)
        Black7,706 (12.0)807 (18.9)295 (20.3)
        Hispanic6,901 (10.7)310 (7.3)117 (8.1)
        Other3,027 (4.7)155 (3.6)57 (3.9)
    Education
        Less than high school diploma7,829 (12.2)956 (22.4)314 (21.6)
        High school graduate or equivalent (GED)18,411 (28.6)1,460 (34.2)514 (35.4)
        Some college or associate degree17,514 (27.2)1,059 (24.8)354 (24.4)
        College degree12,990 (20.2)493 (11.6)172 (11.8)
        Advanced/professional degree7,566 (11.8)299 (7.0)98 (6.7)
    Children
        None35,518 (55.2)3,371 (79.2)1,138 (78.4)
        ≥128,792 (44.8)896 (21.0)314 (21.6)
    Employment status
        Employed41,801 (65.0)1,287 (30.2)427 (29.4)
        Unemployed1,620 (2.5)60 (1.4)16 (1.1)
        Not in labor force–retired12,218 (19.0)1,775 (41.6)608 (41.9)
        Not in labor force–disabled3,228 (5.0)923 (21.6)327 (22.5)
        Not in labor force–other5,443 (8.5)222 (5.2)74 (5.1)
    Household income ($)
         <15,0007,614 (11.8)1,168 (27.4)402 (27.7)
        15,000–29,9999,803 (15.2)812 (19.0)258 (17.8)
        30,000–49,99912,297 (19.1)704 (16.5)246 (16.9)
        50,000–74,99910,961 (17.0)435 (10.2)147 (10.1)
        75,000–99,9999,050 (14.1)281 (6.6)71 (4.9)
        ≥100,0006,053 (9.4)170 (4.0)83 (5.7)
        Missing8,532 (13.3)697 (16.3)245 (16.9)
    Marital status
        Married37,877 (58.9)1,831 (42.9)577 (39.7)
        Single26,433 (41.1)2,436 (57.1)875 (60.3)
    Self-reported health
        ExcellentN/AN/A101 (7.0)
        Very good244 (16.8)
        Good406 (28.0)
        Fair378 (26.0)
        Poor298 (20.5)
        Missing25 (1.7)
    Body mass index
        <20N/AN/A44 (3.0)
        20–29.9808 (55.6)
        30–34.9274 (18.9)
        ≥35254 (17.5)
        Missing72 (5.0)
    • Values presented as unweighted n (%). Percentages may not total to 100 because of rounding. N/A indicates data not available because self-reported health and body mass index were only collected in 2006 and 2007.

    • * When respondents reported 2 or more activities for the same time (ie, multi-tasking), only self-care activities designated as primary by the respondent are included by the ATUS.

    • † Excludes 5 respondents who reported self-care time but did not answer the eating and health module.

    • View popup
    Table 3.

    Percent of US Population 25 Years and Older Who Reported Spending Time on Health-Related Self Care by Selected Characteristics, 2003 to 2007 and 2006 to 2007

    Characteristic2003–20072006–2007*
    Overall6.66.4
    By age (years)
        25–442.62.4
        45–647.27.1
        65–7412.211.7
        ≥7517.317.1
    By self-rated health
        ExcellentN/A2.9
        Very goodN/A3.5
        GoodN/A6.2
        FairN/A11.5
        PoorN/A27.5
        MissingN/A8.2
    By body mass index
        <20N/A3.9
        20–29.9N/A5.6
        30–34.9N/A7.3
        ≥35N/A12.4
        MissingN/A5.4
    • Weighted to represent the US civilian noninstitutionalized population aged 25 years and older. N/A indicated data not available because self-reported health and body mass index were only collected in 2006 and 2007. When respondents reported 2 or more activities for the same time (ie, multi-tasking), only self-care activities designated as primary by the respondent are included by the American Time Use Survey.

    • * Excludes 67 respondents who did not answer the eating and health module; 5 reported health-related self care.

    • View popup
    Table 4.

    Odds of Engaging in Health-related Self-care from Multivariate Logistic Regression

    Characteristic2003–20072006–2007*
    Age (years)
        25–44RefRef
        45–642.0 (1.7–2.3)2.0 (1.6–2.6)
        65–742.4 (2.0–2.9)2.8 (2.0–3.8)
        ≥753.2 (2.6–3.9)3.9 (2.7–5.8)
    Sex
        FemaleRefRef
        Male0.74 (0.67–0.82)0.75 (0.64–0.88)
    Race/ethnicity
        White, non-HispanicRefRef
        Black1.2 (1.1–1.4)1.2 (0.99–1.5)
        Hispanic0.64 (0.54–0.77)0.55 (0.40–0.75)
        Other race1.0 (0.81–1.3)1.1 (0.73–1.7)
    Education
        Less than high school diplomaRefRef
        High school graduate or equivalent0.93 (0.82–1.0)1.0 (0.83–1.3)
        Some college/associate degree0.90 (0.79–1.0)1.1 (0.88–1.4)
    College degree0.66 (0.56–0.78)0.77 (0.59–1.0)
        Advanced/professional degree0.69 (0.58–0.83)0.81 (0.56–1.2)
    Children
        NoneRefRef
        ≥10.77 (0.69–0.86)0.72 (0.58–0.90)
    Employment status
        EmployedRefRef
        Unemployed0.93 (0.63–1.4)0.55 (0.29–1.0)
        Not in labor force–retired2.1 (1.9–2.5)1.6 (1.2–2.0)
        Not in labor force–disabled7.2 (6.2–8.4)4.0 (3.1–5.3)
        Not in labor force–other1.5 (1.2–1.8)1.6 (1.2–2.1)
    Income
         <15,000RefRef
        15,000–29,9990.85 (0.74–0.98)0.83 (0.65–1.1)
        30,000–49,9990.85 (0.73–0.99)1.1 (0.87–1.4)
        50,000–74,9990.76 (0.64–0.91)0.91 (0.68–1.2)
        75,000–99,9990.77 (0.62–0.96)1.1 (0.69–1.6)
        ≥100,0000.68 (0.53–0.86)0.94 (0.64–1.4)
        Missing0.84 (0.73–0.96)1.0 (0.79–1.3)
    Marital status
        MarriedRefRef
        Single1.0 (0.93–1.1)1.0 (0.88–1.2)
    Self-reported health
        ExcellentN/ARef
        Very good1.0 (0.73–1.4)
        Good1.5 (1.1–2.1)
        Fair2.0 (1.4–2.8)
        Poor3.7 (2.5–5.6)
        Missing1.7 (0.90–3.21)
    Body mass index
        <20N/A0.68 (0.44–1.0)
        20–29.9Ref
        30–34.91.3 (1.0–1.5)
        ≥351.7 (1.4–2.2)
        Missing0.98 (0.67–1.4)
    • Values presented as odds ratio (95% CI), weighted to represent the US civilian noninstitutionalized population aged 25 years and older. All independent variables were entered and tested simultaneously. Ref indicates reference group for the characteristic. N/A indicates data not available because self-reported health and body mass index were only collected in 2006 and 2007. The independent variables included age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, employment status, household income, marital status, and presence of children for 2003 to 2007; for 2006 to 2007, the independent variables also included body mass index and self-rated health.

    • * Excludes 67 respondents who did not answer the eating and health module; 5 reported health-related self care.

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The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine: 24 (4)
The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine
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July-August 2011
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How Much Time Do Adults Spend on Health-related Self-care? Results from the American Time Use Survey
Daniel E. Jonas, Yoko Ibuka, Louise B. Russell
The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine Jul 2011, 24 (4) 380-390; DOI: 10.3122/jabfm.2011.04.100260

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How Much Time Do Adults Spend on Health-related Self-care? Results from the American Time Use Survey
Daniel E. Jonas, Yoko Ibuka, Louise B. Russell
The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine Jul 2011, 24 (4) 380-390; DOI: 10.3122/jabfm.2011.04.100260
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